1 2 Some years ago, my neighbor Avery said to me: "There has not been an 3adequate jokebook published since "Joe_Miller", which came out in 1739 and 4which, incidentally, was the most miserable no-good ... jokebook in the 5history of the printed word." 6 In a subsequent conversation, Avery said: "A funny story is a funny 7story, no matter who is in it - whether it's about Catholics or Protestants, 8Jews or Gentiles, blacks or whites, browns or yellows. If a story is genuinely 9funny it makes no difference how dirty it is. Shout it from the rooftops. 10Let the chips fall all over the prairie and let the bonehead wowsers yelp. 11... on them." 12 It is a nice thing to have a neighbor of Avery's grain. He has 13believed in the aforestated principles all his life. A great many other 14people nowadays are casting aside the pietistic attitude that has led them 15to plug up their ears against the facts of life. We of The Brotherhood 16believe as Avery believes; we have never been intimidated by the pharisaical 17meddlers who have been smelling up the American landscape since the time of 18the bundling board. Neither has any one of our members ever been called a 19racist. Still, we have been in unremitting revolt against the ignorant 20propensity which ordains, in effect, that "The Green Pastures" should never 21have been written; the idiot attitude which compelled Arthur Kober to abandon 22his delightful Bella Gross, and Octavius Roy Cohen to quit writing about the 23splendiferous Florian Slappey; the moronic frame of mind which, if carried 24to its logical end, would have forbidden Ring Lardner from writing in the 25language of the masses. 26 -- H. Allen Smith, "Rude Jokes" 27 28 ... let us keep in mind the basic governing philosophy of The 29Brotherhood, as handsomely summarized in these words: we believe in 30healthy, hearty laughter -- at the expense of the whole human race, if 31needs be. 32 Needs be. 33 -- H. Allen Smith, "Rude Jokes" 34