Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes and Legal Culture
Monday, December 14th, 2009 at
10:49 pm
Buy Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes and Legal Culture at Amazon
Review
“Hilarious and philosophical at the same time, a nifty probe of the genre, regularly guilty of wise humor.”—Carlin Romano, Philadelphia Inquirer
“Anyone who finds lawyer jokes humorous (including most lawyers) or has always wondered about how and why they became so popular will very much enjoy this ‘lowering of the bar’”—Alan J. Couture, ForeWord Magazine
“Lowering the Bar should be on the shelves of all humor scholars as a work of reference, on the shelves of all lawyers as a source of self-insight and to bring them repentance and on the shelves of anyone who likes to laugh at jokes.”—Christie Davies, HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research
Product Description
What do you call 600 lawyers at the bottom of the sea? Marc Galanter calls it an opportunity to investigate the meanings of a rich and time-honored genre of American humor. Lowering the Bar analyzes hundreds of jokes from Mark Twain classics to contemporary anecdotes about Dan Quayle, Johnnie Cochran, and Kenneth Starr. Drawing on representations of law and lawyers in the mass media, political discourse, and public opinion surveys, Galanter finds that the increasing reliance on law coexists uneasily with anxiety about the “legalization” of society. Always entertaining, his book explores the tensions between Americans’ deep-seated belief in the law and their ambivalence about lawyers.
Buy Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes and Legal Culture at Amazon
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Tagged with: Culture • Jokes • Lawyer • Legal • Lowering
Filed under: Lawyer Driver
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There are plenty of lawyer-bashing books, but this is not one of them. Rather, like a modern Mark Twain, Marc Galanter uses lawyer jokes to reflect trends in American society. Through thousands of jokes and cartoons that mock lawyers and legalization, he shows on how the legal system is influencing and being influenced by changing relationships between individuals, between citizens and government, and between consumers and corporations. Lawyer jokes are popular because lawyers still fight and win for the little guy. A good read for your favorite lawyer or lawyer-to-be.
I thought about starting this review with one of the hundreds of lawyer jokes that are “told” and given life in this excellent book, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the punch lines.
The author, evidencing an extrodinarily broad range of knowledge, shows how lawyer jokes have evolved over time (and how some jokes previously targetted at Jews, minorities, and businessmen have evolved into lawyer jokes), and how this evolution reflects larger changes in society about attitudes towards law and individual rights.
In addition, the artwork in the book combines so old favorites from The New Yorker, plus older drawings from earlier centuries.
This is a great book for lawyers and for those who like to make fun of lawyers — basically, everybody.
Very funny lawyer jokes. I am enjoying them.
LOL why do guys call anyone cuter than them a metrosexual?
hmm. funny enough, the more time I spend alone, the better my raps become. damnn, i should make a career outta this. a lawyer that spits 16s
Fully Flared!!
hi
haha… it was the first culture that extinct from the world…
Torture is wrong. Those who advocate, invoke, and lead other to torture (John Yoo for example) or agree to it (George W Bush) should be executed (including those who injure or kill as seen in the actions of the Revolutionary Guard of Iran, the military of Honduras, the National Police of Peru, etc). Waterboarding is unforgiveable to defend or use–and its defenders and those who use it forfeit all right to life. I do not waterboard those who disagree with me–just those who use it.
Greed. Plain old simple greed. The mortgage companies are bleeding cash on the foreclosures they have to keep making so they are missing all kinds of projected earnings benchmarks.
Since they have to get that money somewhere, banks are pretty much keeping their rates high to recoup some of their losses.
The Fed is lowering the rates at which banks lend money to EACH OTHER. The lenders in turn are screwing us.
From Julian Sanchez, reacting to the ruling in Citizens United: On the one hand, maybe for all our folly we’re basically engaged enough–or the people who decide to vote are engaged enough–that we can sift through the media maelstrom and figure out, on average, whose principles, character, and record best represent our community. On the other hand, maybe we’re a bunch of chimps who will vote for the shiny thing. I incline toward the latter, but I’ve never been all that big on the intrinsic virtues of democracy. I just have trouble wrapping my head around the view that combines these two beliefs: (1) The wisdom of the people, on the whole, justifies not just the installation of Candidate A over Candidate B, but a whole array of coercive state policies, and also (2) We’re really easily led, and will sell our firstborn to Altria if a slick ad says to. It seems strange for both those things to be true. Reactions? Read the comments on this post… Also check out the featured ScienceBlog…
‘It’s optional if you want to remain anonymous, but what’s the point anymore?’ A new generation doesn’t mind sharing every detail of their lives online. So familiar online companies increasingly don’t bother letting you control privacy options from the start, and make it difficult to detach. Are the privacy-concerned folks mostly older individuals who don’t see the benefits of connectedness? Or are the people who share just about everything lined up with a pro-corporate culture pushed by marketers?
Google Buzz’s intro process has been changed, and Rick Webb replied regarding marketing and “living out loud” on the internet. Facebook is launching Project Titan, an email service that could help gather more information about users.
Google’s mix of innocence and arrogance has served it well so far. But this book suggests the future may not be so simple, says John Lanchester No company in history has grown as fast as Google. This is a matter of money – within 400 weeks of its founding, it was earning revenues of $20bn a year – but also of reach. The 1998 start-up has reached deep into the everyday experience of millions, put itself in the centre of the internet culture that is defining the new century, and had a disruptive impact on some industries and a potentially terminal one on others: advertising, television, newspapers, telephony, and publishing. From a technological and economic point of view, Google is one of the wonders of the world. That’s not the same thing as saying it is an unequivocal force for good. With most companies, that caveat would be a side issue, but since Google’s mission statement is “Don’t be evil”, and since the founder’s letter which accompanied its share prospectus stated an ambition…
you cant ,not without messing the suspension up on it,the only way to do it and do it right and not have any problems from it is to buy a lowering kit for it,this way you keep the ride of it good,you,ll create problems if you start lowering it without a kit,good luck.
Nice : débat "Culture : résistances et alternatives"
benjamincohen: Ended up at the Arts Theatre Club I frequent and saw same comedians with same jokes as exactly this weekend a year ago!
Settle Your Own Injury Claim.: Settle Your Own Injury Claim And Save Thousands In Legal Fees…
A monk takes a vow of silence & is only allowed to say 2 words every 7 years. The first 7 years pass, the elders bring him in for his 2 words. He says “cold floors” they nod & send him away. The next 7 years pass, the elders bring him in for his 2 words. He says, “bad food” they nod & send him away. The next 7 years pass, and the elders bring him in for his 2 words. He says “I quit” & one of the elders says, “Well, I’m not surprised, you’ve done nothing but complain since you got here.” ha ha!!!
Don’t you recognize that it is correct time to get the personal loans, which would make you dreams real.
"The Grand" stated it eloquently. To add to that, I would say that it is a part of your heritage, something you will always have with you, that no one can take from you. You will always be a part of that family, no matter what your present circumstances are. You belong. That can't change. You will never lose it, nor can it ever be taken from you.
If you don't know about your culture, you don't fully know who you are; you don't know about your "family" , or how special you, coming from such a rich heritage, and that is sad.
When you learn other cultures,it gives you another perspective on life and other ways of thinking. It gives you greater understanding of the world, and considering other points of view. It enriches your life when you take that knowledge and adopt some of it to your life; foods, clothing, ceremonies, beliefs, celebrations. You have then added to the diversity and richness of your life. (For example you may be Italian, but love Mexican food, and the colorful clothing.)
For example, even thought I am not related to our forebearers of the Revolutionary War era. But I am well-read enough about their sacrifices and unparalleded contributions to appreciate them and to realize that they did this not just for themselves, but more for all of posterity. They didn't even know us, but they wanted security and liberty for us. I love them for what they did. That's my family. No one can ever take that from me. I am rich in that knowledge. Now that is not an ethic cultural, but it is an American culture, based on life, liberty and the persuit of happiness. (Because of that pride in my "family", I became one of them…as a Revolutionary War reenactor. It has greatly enriched my life.)
I also have an ethnic background of 3 nationalities, and that is interesting as well to compare different ways of life, thinking, and doing.
I have pride in each of their cultures; I belong to those ethnic families. I know who I am, and I have something no one can take from me: A culturally rich heritage.
Sharp Consultancy – Sheffield – We are looking for a Legal Manager for this high profile Sheffield manufacturing business. Reporting… Control and Solicitors Dealing with legal aspects of the business which has a multi million T/O Fully familiar