Conference tallis::celt

209.0. "Ronnie can't go to Ireland anymore..." by TALLIS::DARCY (Killarney, Kilmaley, Kilgarvan, and Gort) Fri Jun 05 1987 17:28

Associated Press Fri  5-JUN-1987 15:16                            Reagan-Joke

airX 5-JUN-8715

   Reagan Warms Up With Irish Quip
   VENICE, Italy (AP) - President Reagan warmed up for a taping of
his weekly radio address Friday by relating an Italian-Irish joke,
unaware that his remarks were being overheard.
   At a recording session at the villa where he is staying before
the economic summit, Reagan commented that he was going to tell
``my gondola joke.''
   The president's first few comments could not be overheard, but
it appeared the story concerned a gondolier who was singing a
popular Neopolitan song as he piloted his boat through the canals.
   The rest of the joke went like this:
   ``And the Lord said, `I wonder what would happen if I took away
25 percent of his brainpower,''' as the gondolier was singing ```O
sole mio' (Oh, my sun).'''
   ``So the Lord did'' and the gondolier sang only part of the
song,```O sole, O sole.'''
   ``The Lord said, `Hey, I'll take half of it away,''' and the
gondolier's song was shortened to ```O so, O so.'''
Associated Press Fri  5-JUN-1987 15:16                   Reagan-Joke (cont'd)

   ``Finally, the Lord said, `What will happen if I take all of his
brainpower away?' and he did.'' And the gondolier suddenly switched
his tune and sang, ``When Irish eyes are smiling.''
   As the audience of broadcast technicians laughed, Reagan said,
``See, I can tell that, being Irish. I can't tell ethnic jokes
except if they're Irish now,'' said Reagan, an Irishman himself. He
laughingly added, ``In fact, I can't go to Ireland anymore.''
   Reagan usually delivers his radio address live on Saturday, but
he taped this one in advance because he is traveling to Rome
Saturday to meet with Pope John Paul II.
   The joke will not be heard when the address is broadcast in the
United States. It was picked up here on broadcast monitors as
Reagan prepared to tape the speech.