Radio Yerevan jokes Puns

Radio Yerevan was asked: "Why did they establish a Ministry of Navy in landlocked Armenia. Do you have a sea?" Radio Yerevan answered: "To spite Azerbaijan. They established a Ministry of Culture."

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Hello, long-time lurker here, and this is my first post.

Arguably, one of the biggest cultural losses of the USSR's collapse was the disappearance of good political jokes (Reagan actively collected and shared them publicly). These jokes were popular not only in the Soviet Union but also in the ex-eastern Bloc countries, as well as ex-Yugoslavia.

The modern-day Slovenian philosopher and public intellectual Slavoj Zizek often likes to reference Armenian Radio or Radio Yerevan jokes, named after the legendary Radio Yerevan that actually existed and usually answered its listeners' questions. These jokes range from the political(ly incorrect), to sex, daily life, national stereotypes, and so on. The typical format of a joke is:

Radio Yerevan was asked: "<...>"

Radio Yerevan answers: "<In principle yes, but...>".

I believe some of these jokes are still relatable and can guide us in our so-called post-ideological times. Here are 6 of my favorites:

1. Radio Yerevan was asked: “Is it true that Rabinovich won a new car in the state lottery?”

Radio Yerevan answered: “Yes, it is true. Only it was not a new car but an old bicycle. And he didn't win it, but it was stolen from him.”

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2. This is Armenian Radio; our listeners asked us: “What is the difference between capitalism and socialism?”

We’re answering: “In a capitalist society man exploits man, and in a socialist one, the other way around.”

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3. Question: When communism will be built, will there still be Jews and Armenians?

Answer: Don't worry, the Jews and the Armenians will find a way to weasel out.

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4. The Armenian Radio was asked: "Is it good to sleep with an open window?"

The Armenian Radio answered: "Yes, but with a woman it is better."

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5. This is Armenian Radio; our listeners asked us: “What shall we do if suddenly we feel a desire to work?”

We’re answering: “Just rest for a while on a sofa. It will pass.”

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6. Radio Yerevan was asked: “Why did they establish a Ministry of Navy in landlocked Armenia. Do you have a sea?”

Radio Yerevan answered: “To spite Azerbaijan. They established a Ministry of Culture.”

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Bonus:

Radio Yerevan was asked: "Can Armenians fly to space yet?"

Radio Yerevan answered: "In principle yes, but if we d

Radio Yerevan jokes were basically a pre-internet meme here in the former Eastern Bloc, which follow a simple QnA format and were often political, and here's a few of my favorites:

Radio Yerevan was asked: Is it true that there is freedom of speech in the Soviet Union in the same way that there is in the USA?

Radio Yerevan answered: In principle, yes. In the USA, you can stand in front of the Washington Monument, shout "Down with Reagan!" and you wouldn't get punished. In the USSR, you can stand in the middle of the Red Square, shout "Down with Reagan!" and you won't get punished, either.

Radio Yerevan was asked: What is chaos?

Radio Yerevan answered: We do not comment on national economics.

Radio Yerevan was asked: Why is there no flour in the market?

Radio Yerevan answered: Because they began adding it to bread.

Radio Yerevan was asked: What is a Soviet musical duet?

Radio Yerevan answered: A Soviet musical quartet after a trip abroad.

Radio Yerevan was asked: Why is our government not in hurry to land men on the moon?

Radio Yerevan answered: Because they might decide to not return.

Radio Yerevan was asked: What is "Russian business"?

Radio Yerevan answered: To steal a crate of vodka, sell it, and then drink the money away.

Radio Yerevan was asked: Was comrade Lenin a scientist or a politician?

Radio Yerevan answered: Of course, a politician. If he were a scientist, he would've first tried his theories on dogs.

"Radio Yerevan" is a term for a kind of joke which was popular in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc in general. They took the form of a fictional answer given by Radio Yerevan to a question posed by a listener. It was typical to have a "yes, but" or a "in principle yes, but" format, with the latter part utterly contradicting the first one. An example would be "Can a low-ranking party member criticize a high-ranking party member?", with the answer "In principle yes, but very sad for low-ranking party member".

The reality of Brexit, when compared to the promises made by Brexiters, follows that format closely. Examples would be:

"Can the UK now have trade deals of its own?" "Yes, but there is no guarantee that the new trade deals will be better than the ones the UK had as a member of the EU".

"Is the UK now in control of immigration?" "Yes, but that also means that there are tens of thousands of nurses, lorry drivers and hospitality staff missing."

"Did Brexit get done?" "Yes, but negotiations about the relationship are ongoing and will continue to go on for as long as there is an economic relationship."

"Can the UK now make its own rules?" "Yes, but if the UK wants to keep the market access it has under the TCA, it can not diverge too much."

"Can British Citizens still live and work in the EU?" "Yes, but only if this in compliance with the rules set by individual EU member states".

I wonder at which point the contrast between the sunlit uplands that were promised and the rather bleak reality will have political consequences. I occasionally delve into the cess pit that is the comment section of the Express or the Mail, and it is evident that the tone has shifted. There is still a faction that would want to see the UK abandon all treaties, but they are no longer a majority.

The format is the same as the old anecdotes, everyone asks what they want, the users answer what they want.

Its just surprising some questions aren't asked in jest.

Edit: Main difference is that Armenian radio focus on the humor was in the answer instead of question for most of the time.

Feliz NaviDAD! It’s got your name in it!”

Radio Yerevan responded: No soap. Radio.

Radio Yerevan answered: "Yes, if you hold it between your knees."

on the radio in ahmedabad, india.

Babu: Raju, I am looking for work. Do you have any openings?

Raju: Oh yes! Monthly 100,000 rupees. You have to work as a personal assistant to this political leader.

Babu: 100,000 is too much. Don't you have something that pays a little less?

Raju: 50,000. you work as general secretary for a political party.

Babu: Even that is too high... don't you have something that pays around 10,000

Raju: Oh buddy, that is going to be really difficult... for you. You will have to get your masters degree or do some 3-5 year professional course.

the commentary is that people lacking education get higher paying jobs, and people who complete university are unemployable because of outdated curriculum and hindrances created by reservation system.

So my dad came home yesterday from work and said I heard a hilarious joke on the radio. My mom and I braced ourselves as the jokes my dad think are funny are usually not and painfully so. He tells the joke that he ate a bunch of alphabet soup and now he had to have a vowel movement

This. It's a parody of "That's Amore" using things like "that's a Mornay", "that's a Moray" and one of them is "that's a Maori".

According to the Article "The comments have outraged Māori living in Australia". Grovelling apologies are being issued.

The thing is it's not even an original joke! I remember seeing this printed in the London Times about 15 years ago and it wasn't racist then - or at least the Maori I knew living in London certainly weren't outraged.

I wonder if any of the outraged ones have heard of Billy T. James?

Heard one on DMR not too long ago:

“How do you start a war at a hamfest? Have one person say ‘I like Baofeng’ and another say ‘I like FT8.’”

Radio Yerevan answered:In principle, yes. But first of all it was not Grigori Grigorievich Grigoriev, but Vassili Vassilievich Vassiliev; second, it was not at the All-Union Championship in Moscow, but at a Collective Farm Sports Festival in Smolensk; third, it was not a car, but a bicycle; and fourth he didn't win it, but rather it was stolen from him.

Radio Yerevan answered: "Of course, a politician. If he were a scientist, he would've first tried his theories on dogs."

Radio Yerevan: "We do not comment on national economics."

"Good" old sovjet times

Radio Yerevan answered, "In principle, yes, but..."