Investment Banker Victoria Job | Bureau Federal Investigator

A Chinese fortune cookie message reads, "a good laugh and a good cry cleanse the mind". During the business downturn you expect to see a lot of people having a good cry; the surprise is there's a lot of joking and laughter as well. Mostly, as you'd expect, it's gallows humor that rules the day. According to The Free Dictionary this involves "humorous treatment of a grave or dire situation".

Open Season On Bankers

There's little or no kidding about the ordinary jobless person but it's open season on bankers and corporate chieftains. Jokes at their expense have savage undertones. Take this one, "What's the difference between a banker and a pizza? The pizza can feed a family of five." And this, "optimism is personified by a banker ironing five shirts on Sunday night." The inference, of course, is that he won't last a week in his job. In London they are being likened to airborne vermin; "What's the difference between investment bankers and pigeons?" The answer?" The pigeons are still capable of making deposits on BMWs." Joking about former power figures helps diffuse some of the anger that people feel over the corporate mismanagement that caused the recession. It also gives them a sense of power which is good in the current situation.

Humor About The Unthinkable

Company amalgamations and other woes don't escape in the general joshing. "Fedex is expected to join its competitor UPS and become FEDUP" and "Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will merge to become Fairwell Honeychild."