Terrorism or tourism?
Just as the language play jokes above (Part I) reduce bin Laden to absurdity, the following airplane jokes serve to secularize (and thus profane) the sacred mission of bin Laden and his followers. Here, they are portrayed not as warriors or martyrs, but as tourists and commercial entrepreneurs. Their mission is not only disregarded, but is transformed by the explanatory value of commercial enterprise. At this level, criticism of bin Laden is made possible on familiar, common sense grounds, particularly for those unfamiliar with his principles.
Har du hørt om bin Ladens nye flyselskap?
..Pentagon Airlines (5).
Have you heard about bin Laden’s new travel company?
….Pentagon Airlines.
By comparing terrorists with tourists, the joker here is able to play off the double meaning of the word avgang (departure), which, as in English, can be taken to mean flight departure or departure from the plane/life:
Vet du hva islamske terrorister ofte lider av?
...for tidlig flyavgang (5).
Do you know what Islamic terrorists often complain about?
…departures are too early.
As tourists, terrorists are also portrayed as being misled by poetic advertising slogans (propaganda), inviting them to a distant paradise. Reference to the glossy brochures and all-encompassing promises of travel advertising renders the power of propaganda transparent:
Vet du hva islamske reisebyråer har begynt å reklamere for?
..."Himmelske flyreiser til yndede turistattraksjoner under fjerne himmelstrøk - stedene vil aldri bli de samme etter at DU har vært der.." (5)
Do you know what Islamic travel agencies have begun to advertise?
…”Heavenly plane trips to charming tourist attractions under the distant heavens - these places with never be the same after YOU have been there.”
The power of propaganda is further demonstrated with the following suggested slogans:
"Lei av å stå i taxikø på flyplassen? Bin Laden Airlines flyr deg rett til kontoret!"(5)
”Tired of standing in line for taxis at the airport? Bin Laden Airlines flies you right to the office!”
"Reis med bin Laden Airlines - treff nye New York-ere!"(5)
”Fly with bin Laden Airlines – meet new New-Yorkers!”
Ambivalence and the “psychic unity of mankind”
Finally, the last jokes I present struggle with issues of same-ness and difference. Despite the events of September 11th, does there continue to be a common human element that unites us? Is there such a thing as the “psychic unity of mankind,” as Franz Boas claimed at the time of WWII? There is a sense of ambivalence to be found here – we can neither admit to having the same underlying human qualities, nor fully deny the characteristics that we do share.
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