Since the beginning of time, Bahamians have always had a wonderful sense of humor. Bahamians appreciate a good chuckle as much as the next person does. The Bahamian sense of humor, through the exposure to Britain, is very cynical. A lot of the jokes in The Bahamas involve a 'play on words'. This is why shows such as 'Are You Being Served' and 'Keeping Up Appearances' are a delight to the older audiences while the younger TV viewers watch show like 'Seinfeld' and 'The Steve Harvey Show'.
Here are two Bahamian jokes that illustrate the type of humor Bahamians enjoy.
The 'Titanic'
When the 'Titanic' sunk thousands of people drowned in the cold winter waters. Several were fortunate enough to make it into lifeboats but the number was small. There was one particular lifeboat that could only hold THREE people. The dilemma was that FOUR people had swam over to the boat: the ship's Captain, the First Officer in Charge, the Sporting Activities Coordinator and a janitor named Wilbert. As each person arrived at the boat they saw the dilemma at hand. With all four individuals holding on the edge of the lifeboat the Captain looked at everyone and said, "Now, the four of us here realize the dilemma we face. There are four of us but only three seats in this boat. As the ship's captain I use my power to reserve a seat for myself. However, for you three, I will ask each of a question. The first person to get their question wrong will forfeit a seat."
The captain then proceeded to climb into the vessel. After catching his breath he looked at his First Officer and said, "Now George, what is the name of the ship we just abandoned?" Without hesitation the First Officer stated "The Titanic." "Correct," said the captain. Next the Captain looked at the Sporting Activities coordinator and said, "Now Susan, approximately how many people were passengers aboard the ship?" After pausing for a moment the coordinator said "five thousand." "Correct," said the Captain. Next the Captain spun around to look at Wilbert. With a look of confidence in his eye the Captain asked "Now Wilbert. Name all the people aboard the ship."�
Mule Ride
There was once a tourist who visited Eleuthera. Eleuthera is known for its high hills and mule rides, amongst other things. Aware of this, the tourist went to a local vendor who organized mule rides. The tourist stated that he wanted to take a mule ride in order to view the beautiful hills the island had to offer. The vendor agreed to rent out the mule to the gentlemen. He, the vendor, told the tourist, "Riding this mule is easy. Pay attention. First, when you want the mule to walk say 'Oh'. When you want the mule to trot say 'Oh my', and to get it running say 'Oh my God'. To make it stop say 'Here now'. Do you understand?"
The tourist said he understood and rented the mule. As he mounted the animal he preceded to say 'Oh'. At once the mule started walking. After a few minutes at that pace, the tourist said 'Oh my', hence making the mule trot. After about ten minutes at a trotting pace the tourist said 'Oh my God.' As expected the mule started running. The tourist was loving the quick pace until he noticed that the mule was heading straight towards an edge of a hill. Dumbstruck the tourist could not remember the command for 'Stop'. The mule got closer and closer until it was ten feet away from the edge. At that moment the tourist remembered the command and yelled out 'Here now.' The mule stopped, without an inch to spare. The mule's front hoof was right on the edge of the hillside. Still mounted on the mule, the tourist leaned forward to see his near death. When he saw how far the drop was he sighed under his breath 'Oh my God'�