Žižek's Jokes

The good news is that this book offers an entertaining but enlightening compilation of iekisms. Unlike any other book by Slavoj Zizek, this compact arrangement of jokes culled from his writings provides an index to certain philosophical, political, and sexual themes that preoccupy him.ieks Jokes contains the set-ups and punch lines - as well as the offenses and insults - that iek is famous for, all in less than 200 pages. So whats the bad news? There is no bad news. Theres just the inimitable Slavoj iek, disguised as an impossibly erudite, politically incorrect uncle, beginning a sentence, There is an old Jewish joke, loved by Derrida . . . For iek, jokes are amusing stories that offer a shortcut to philosophical insight. He illustrates the logic of the Hegelian triad, for example, with three variations of the Not tonight, dear, I have a headache" classic: first the wife claims a migraine; then the husband does; then the wife exclaims, Darling, I have a terrible migraine, so lets have some sex to refresh me!" A punch line about a beer bottle provides a Lacanian lesson about one signifier. And a truly obscene" version of the famous aristocrats" joke has the family offering a short course in Hegelian thought rather than a display of unspeakables.