Have you noticed nobody tells jokes anymore? Maybe it’s because they’re so dangerous. What one person finds hilarious another may find grossly offensive (and it’s hard to predict these things in advance.) Plus which, they’re hard to tell well. Get the timing wrong and your otherwise impeccably conceived gag can fall flat.

But the daily joke has long been a part of the VanCore weekly agenda. It loosens things up early and greases the skids for the more thoughtful and challenging stuff to come.

Today, past-president Susan Chew told a genuinely funny one. It went something like this:

A little girl with her mom in the toy store comes upon the display of Barbie dolls. The girl looks at all the different Barbies and the mom takes note of the prices. There’s Malibu Barbie ($19.95), Princess Barbie ($19.95), Equestrian Barbie ($19.95), Mod Barbie ($19.95). And Divorce Barbie: $249.99.

The mother turns to the clerk. “Wow. Why’s Divorce Barbie so expensive?”

The clerk leans close. “Oh, that’s because she comes with Ken’s car, his furniture, half of his house, and one of his boyfriends.”

See? Pretty funny. And I don’t’ think anyone was offended. That’s a fine line to walk.

Nobody was more relieved to hear that joke than Bruce. It saved him from telling the inappropriate one he had in his back pocket.