Decades ago, smart Jewish boys had to bang on closed doors— or slip through a narrow crack— to become “My Son the Doctor.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you a dress,” the president-elect tells her.
“How will I get there?” his mother asks.
“I’ll send a limousine for you.”
At the inauguration, the First Mama is sitting among all the dignitaries as her son is sworn in. She looks around, and then in a loud voice announces to the assembled VIPs, “See that fellow up there being sworn in? His brother is a doctor.”
This well-known joke, is representative of an entire genre of 20th century humor and emblematic of the cultural phenomenon of “My Son the Doctor.” It’s a concept that not only shaped medical practices across America, but also inspired plenty of Borscht Belt humor — and even a board game.
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