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Dead baby jokesDead baby jokes are a joke cycle reflecting dark comedy. The joke is presented in riddle form, beginning with a what question and concluded with a grotesque punch line answer.[1] HistoryAccording to the folklorist scholar Alan Dundes, the dead baby joke cycle likely began in the early 1960s.[1] Dundes theorizes that the origin of the dead baby joke lies in the rise of second-wave feminism in the U.S. during that decade and its rejection of the traditional societal role for women, which included support for legalized abortion and contraceptives.[2][3] It has also been suggested that the jokes emerged in response to images of graphic violence, often involving infants, from the Vietnam War.[4] ExamplesWhat's the difference between a truckload of dead babies and a truckload of bowling balls? What's more fun than nailing a baby to a post? What's bright blue, pink, and sizzles? How do you get 100 dead babies into a box? How do you get them out of the box? How many babies does it take to paint a house? Why did the dead baby cross the road? See alsoReferences
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