[Ads-l] "What do you mean we, paleface / white man / kemo sabe?"

[Ben Yagoda]

Another variation was a favorite comeback of my college buddy Bob Zaglin, back in the ‘70s.

Me: What are we gonna do now?

Zag: You got a rat in your pocket?

> 
> Date:    Mon, 3 Jun 2019 05:17:34 +0000
> From:    Bill Mullins <amcombill at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: "What do you mean we, paleface / white man / kemo sabe?"
> 
>> Could Bridwell have written the joke for the LA Times? I think he was still
>> living in Oklahoma at the time, and I have no sense of what he was writing
>> then, and where he was submitting it.
> 
> He didn't write it for this particular quote -- it was from a column
> called "Cityside" written by Gene Sherman.  The column was widely syndicated, and it
> ran in Bridwell's home newspaper, the _Daily Oklahoman_ on 12/12/1956.
> 
> It seems far more likely that Bridwell read the joke and rewrote it for Mad.
> We know that Bridwell read this particular Oklahoma paper because he had assorted
> Letters to the Editor published in it on 8/8/1954, 5/15/1955, and 6/30/1964.
> 
> 
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Date:    Mon, 3 Jun 2019 02:16:26 -0400
> From:    ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: "What do you mean we, paleface / white man / kemo sabe?"
> 
> Here is another citation in 1956 that appeared about a month after the
> citation Bill found. Arthur Godfrey broadcast the joke on his morning
> television program. (The text is ambiguous; he also hosted a radio
> program.)
> 
> Date: September 23, 1956
> Newspaper: Sunday News (Daily News)
> Newspaper Location: New York, New York
> Article: Laughs from the Air
> Author: George Maksian
> Section 2, Quote Page 17, Column 3
> Database: Newspapers.com
> 
> [End excerpt]
> Arthur Godfrey was amused by this rib-tickler and repeated it for his
> CBS audience the other morning: The Lone Ranger and Tonto were riding
> along the plains when suddenly they saw some 500 Sioux Indians heading
> towards them. They turned around only to find hundreds of Apaches. To
> the left and to the right were the same. Then the Masked Man turned to
> his faithful companion and said, "Well, Tonto, I guess we've had it."
> "What do you mean WE--white man" the Indian indignantly responded.
> [Begin excerpt]
> 
> There are several citations in 1957. The following interesting
> citation used the variant phrase "'What do you mean by 'us'" instead
> of "What do you mean 'we'".
> 
> Date: May 10, 1957
> Newspaper: The Abilene Reporter-News
> Newspaper Location: Abilene, Texas
> Article: GOP May Launch National Magazine
> Author: Leslie and Elizabeth Carpenter (Washington Bureau)
> Quote Page 4B, Column 6
> Database: Newspapers.com
> 
> [Begin excerpt]
> Adlai Stevenson has a Lone Ranger story . . .
> 
> "The Lone Ranger said to Tonto: 'Well. Tonto, it looks like they've
> got us this time!' Tonto's reply was quick: 'What do you mean by "us."
> White Man?'"
> [End excerpt]
> 

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