Oh, I suppose we could limit our folklore discussions to things that happened over a hundred years ago, and people would feel a lot safer. The Jade Goody phenomenon is folklore happening right now. These crude jokes (mostly) aren't coming from television gag writers - they're coming from real people. And yeah, I suppose I have to admit that one purpose of such jokes is just plain cruelty - just like racist jokes and sexist jokes and many ethnic jokes. But it seems to me that this particular type of joke is meant more to shock than to be cruel - and you can see from many of the messages above that even the thought of such jokes shocks many of us and brings our taboos to the forefront.

So, what's the point?

I think it's questioning the values of our society. We can pour out sympathy to a celebrity or an unknown and distant stranger; but we often can't look a homeless person in the eye, and most of us would certainly hesitate to touch a homeless person or shake his or her hand. How about the grouchy old guy next door, who's mean because he's suffering from Parkinson's? We humans like to be sympathetic - but we tend to prefer safe, long-distance sympathy, shared over the Internet instead of requiring us to touch and listen and give and tolerate. Maybe that's what these Jade Goody jokes are poking a stick at. For some of us, that stick of shock makes us nervous - I know it makes me nervous.

Maybe that's what my kid's shocking punk lyrics are about - provoking a display of the dishonesty of many of the so-called "values" of our society.

C'mon, all you people! How many of you really, honestly care about Jade Goody - and if you do, why? Now, tell me how you responded to the last homeless person who asked you for a handout. Did you show that person at least as much respect as you think Jade Goody deserves? Even if you didn't give anything, did you look that person in the eye and say something pleasant? I'm sure some of you did respond in a positive way to that homeless person - but I have to say that I'm not proud of the brush-off I gave to the last homeless person who asked me for money. I even had trouble talking to people in a convalescent home after I sang for them yesterday - somebody had to remind me that I should do that.

-Joe-