Jokers

rewboss · 830419. Mon Jul 11, 2011 3:33 am

Right, it's disputed. It certainly, as you say, makes the ideal addition to the "court cards", but on the other hand, if the idea that "Joker" comes from a mispronunciation of "Juker" is correct, that may be just a convenient coincidence.

I'm thinking just a devious rewording of the question. "What is the origin of the joker card?" would be my suggestion: "Tarot's fool" is still klaxonable, naturally leading to the explanation that the question is about the card, not the image on the card.

dr bartolo · 830553. Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:28 am

Spud McLaren · 832295. Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:46 am

A joker of a different kind - Ephraim Bee, who through a practical joke, called into being a Benevolent Society, E Clampus Vitus.

Spud McLaren · 832323. Sun Jul 17, 2011 3:13 pm

Now I know in the index under the J series header it says, "Not japes, jests or jokes ...", but come now, with a panel of mainly (if not all) comedians, we must surely find time for a jokers, jocularity and joviality episode? Possibly little-known facts about famous comedians?

E.g.:

Les Dawson - "Before his fame Dawson wrote poetry and kept it secret. It was not expected that someone of his working class background would harbour such literary ambitions. In a BBC TV documentary about his life, he spoke of his love for some canonical figures in English literature, in particular the 19th Century essayist Charles Lamb, whose somewhat florid style influenced Dawson's own...Dawson wrote many novels but was always regarded solely as an entertainer in the public imagination, and this saddened him. He told his second wife, Tracey, "Always remind them - I was a writer too"."

[Wiki]

rewboss · 832337. Sun Jul 17, 2011 3:48 pm

OK, which joker once ruled Scotland? Klaxon: Alex Salmond, Malcom Rifkind and Idi Amin.

Answer: George Buchanan, jester to King James VI of Scotland. King James often didn't bother to read any documents he was signing, until Buchanan got him to sign a document in which he abdicated for fifteen days, handing his kingdom over to Buchanan for that time.

Jesters and licenced fools were not purely for entertainment. Since they had no vested interests in the way of land, wealth, power or status, they were often a monarch's most trusted advisers. They were also the best people to ask to break bad news to the monarch, and, as long as they were careful, were in a better position than most to tell the ruler a few home truths. Even today, you might argue that this heritage survives in the tradition of political satire.

Spud McLaren · 832344. Sun Jul 17, 2011 4:27 pm

Wonderful!

Phantom2448 · 832367. Sun Jul 17, 2011 5:56 pm

Then of course you could always add The Joker, Batman's arch-nemesis, who was a psychotic nut at the best of times.

Neotenic · 832451. Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:57 am

Some people call me the space cowboy.
Yeah! Some call me the gangster of love.
Some people call me Maurice,
Cause I speak of the Pompatus of love.

Straight dope article on the origins of the baffling word 'pompatus' in Steve Miller's 'The Joker'.

Riddley · 832617. Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:43 pm

Speaking of Les Dawson. I have read a few things online about him at the Empire Theatre in Sunderland. Wikipedia explains:

Zebra57 · 832661. Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:09 am

A number of QI threads to follow on this post:

James VI of Scotland was prone to periods of insanity and almost certainly suffered from porphyria which he inherited from his mother via the French royal family (eg, Charles the Mad). This condition caused his succession to the English throne to be called into question. At times Buchanan was often the only person he would listen to.

The good doctor's link to the 12 court cards throws up an interesting point. In a recent television programme on UK ITV "Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" it asked:
"How many kings in a pack of playing cards have beards?"
The answer was three with the King of Hearts not having a beard. Does this require a klaxxon?

The Joker can show a jester or fool but may show other pictures and tends to vary from country to country.

Les Dawson apart from being a novelist was a very good pianist (not just his joking stage act). Like many multi-talented entertainers he was "typecast" into one area of his ability.

rewboss · 832686. Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:14 am

djgordy · 832701. Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:53 am

I am an extremely skillful piano player.

Zebra57 · 832709. Tue Jul 19, 2011 7:10 am

No I am Spartacus! Sorry wrong thread.

Norman Castle · 850514. Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:10 pm

I was quite young when he died, and have only vague memories of his act, but IIRC the joke wasn't that he played badly, it was that the piano was out of tune.

Or maybe I'm misremembering.

dr bartolo · 850725. Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:33 am