Red Stangland
Encyclopedia
Eider "Red" Stangland was an American radio broadcaster and humorist. He wrote numerous joke books focused on Upper Midwest
ern humor, most notably a series of titles about the fictional characters Ole and Lena
.
and FM in Sheldon, Iowa
, and had owned the former KCHF AM and FM stations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
. Stangland wrote numerous joke books centered on the Nordic characters at the center of jokes that predate his works and go back at least to the 1940s.
, and Stangland's putting them in book form helped promote the popularity of the jokes and the characters. They are legendary among the Lutherans of Scandinavia
n heritage (mostly Norwegian and Swedish) throughout the Midwest and with outsiders who know them. The main characters are Lena, her boyfriend Ole, and his buddy Sven.
The jokes themselves are part of the cultural heritage also symbolized by expressions such as Uff Da, ya sure and you betcha.
There was a great rivalry between the Swedes and Norwegians that carries over from the rivalry of the European nations and continued in the Midwest. The jokes may have served to bridge this divide, especially as the two groups intermarried in the United States.
No one is certain when and where Ole and Lena jokes began, but they may have come from self-deprecating Scandinavian-Americans making fun of themselves and each other. There is no indication the jokes are widely known in Scandinavia.
The joke books have been given away at Nordic Heritage Club events and are signature of Midwestern regional humor. This self deprecating outlook has been referred to as the "uff da
" world view.
Some of the jokes are short quips.
Most of the jokes are intentionally long and a bit droll, causing an uff da
from listeners.
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
ern humor, most notably a series of titles about the fictional characters Ole and Lena
Ole and Lena
Ole and Lena are central characters in jokes by Scandinavian Americans, particularly in the Upper Midwest region of the U.S., particularly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota where Scandinavian immigrant traditions are common.-Format:Ole and Lena jokes can be long and...
.
Biography
Eider C. Stangland began his radio career as an announcer and ended it as a station owner. He owned KIWA AMKIWA (AM)
KIWA is a commercial radio station serving the Sheldon, Iowa area. The station primarily broadcasts a news/talk/country format. KIWA is owned by the Sheldon Broadcasting Company, Inc....
and FM in Sheldon, Iowa
Sheldon, Iowa
Sheldon is a city in O'Brien and Sioux Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, along the Floyd River. The population was 4,914 at the 2000 census; it is the largest city in O'Brien County.- History and culture :...
, and had owned the former KCHF AM and FM stations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
. Stangland wrote numerous joke books centered on the Nordic characters at the center of jokes that predate his works and go back at least to the 1940s.
Humor
The jokes have had a long tradition in the Upper MidwestUpper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
, and Stangland's putting them in book form helped promote the popularity of the jokes and the characters. They are legendary among the Lutherans of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n heritage (mostly Norwegian and Swedish) throughout the Midwest and with outsiders who know them. The main characters are Lena, her boyfriend Ole, and his buddy Sven.
The jokes themselves are part of the cultural heritage also symbolized by expressions such as Uff Da, ya sure and you betcha.
There was a great rivalry between the Swedes and Norwegians that carries over from the rivalry of the European nations and continued in the Midwest. The jokes may have served to bridge this divide, especially as the two groups intermarried in the United States.
No one is certain when and where Ole and Lena jokes began, but they may have come from self-deprecating Scandinavian-Americans making fun of themselves and each other. There is no indication the jokes are widely known in Scandinavia.
The joke books have been given away at Nordic Heritage Club events and are signature of Midwestern regional humor. This self deprecating outlook has been referred to as the "uff da
Uff da
Uff da is an expression of Norwegian origin adopted by Scandinavian-Americans in the 19th century...
" world view.
Some of the jokes are short quips.
- I take my wife Lena everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.
Most of the jokes are intentionally long and a bit droll, causing an uff da
Uff da
Uff da is an expression of Norwegian origin adopted by Scandinavian-Americans in the 19th century...
from listeners.
- "Ole and Lena are sitting at their dining room table, listening to the radio and watching it snow out. All of a sudden there is a big message on the radio, "There is a snow emergencySnow emergencyA Snow Emergency is the term used to indicate the active response plan when a snow storm severely impacts a city, county or town in the United States or Canada. Schools, universities, government offices, airports and public buildings may close during a Snow Emergency. The precise meaning of "snow...
, please park your car on the odd side of the street." So Ole puts on his clothes and goes out to move his car. The next day the same thing, another snow emergency and the radio says, "Please park your car on the even side of the street." So Ole goes and parks his car on the even side of the street. A few days later there's a really bad snow storm and the radio says, "There's been a snow emergency please move your car to the ..." and the radio goes out. And Lena says to Ole, "Oh, forget it. Just leave your car in the garage this time."
Published works
- Ethnic Jokes with Joe Thompson and Don Steinbeck (Norse Press, 1974)
- Norwegian Jokes (Norse Press, 1978)
- Uff Da Jokes with Don Steinbeck (Norse Press, 1979)
- Polish & Other Ethnic Jokes (Norse Press, 1980)
- Son of Norwegian Jokes (Norse Press, 1980)
- Grandson of Norwegian Jokes (Norse Press, 1982)
- How to Become Your Boss (Norse Press, 1983)
- More Uff Da Jokes with Don Steinbeck (Norse Press, 1984)
- O Lutefisk: a Nostalgic Look Back to Those Good Old Days (Norse Press, 1985)
- Ole & Lena Jokes (Norse Press, 1986)
- More Ole & Lena Jokes (Norse Press, 1987)
- Norwegian Stories: World's Largest Collection of Rib-tickling Ethnic Humor (Norse Press, 1988)
- Ole & Lena Jokes, Book III (Norse Press, 1988)
- The New O Lutefisk: a Book of Pure Nostalgia (Norse Press, 1989)
- Ole & Lena Jokes, Book 4 with Marian Henjum (Norse Press, 1989)
- Ole & Lena Jokes, Book 5 (Norse Press, 1990)
- Red Stangland's Norwegian Home Companion (Dorset Press, 1990)
- Blonde Jokes (Norse Press, 1991)
- Ole & Lena Jokes, Book 5 (Norse Press, 1992)
- Red Stangland's Best Party Zingers (1992)
- Ole & Lena Jokes, Book 6 (Norse Press, 1992)
- The World's Funniest Roast Jokes (Meadowbrook Press, 1992)
- Ole & Lena Jokes, Book 7 (Norse Press, 1993)
- Ole & Lena Jokes, Book 8 (Norse Press, 1994)