«Vet du hvorfor Gud skapte Adam før Eva?»1: Vi Menns vitser om religion, kjønn og sex

Abstract

This chapter explores change and continuity in the jokes on religion, gender and sex published in the comics’ section of the men’s magazine Vi Menn (in English, Us Men) from the 1980s through 2016. The study asks: What characterizes Vi Menn’s humor on religion, gender and sex during this period? Which religions are covered, and how are they portrayed? How are categories such as gender, sexuality and ethnicity expressed in the jokes? The analysis shows that ideas about gender differences are an important component of the jokes, and furthermore, that the jokes are based on stereotypical conceptions of gender and religion. Such stereotypes include the idea that men are inherently preoccupied with sex and the sexual objectification of women, and the idea that religion and sex are contradictory. Rather than challenging stereotypical ideas of religious groups and gender, Vi Menn’s jokes reinforce conventional gender roles and construct boundaries between «us» and «them», marked by religion, gender, sexuality and ethnicity.