Did the Oklahoma governor just tell us an urban legend?

[Chloe]

So I just got back from graduation #2, at which the speaker was OK governor Brad Henry. He told a nice little story about how his five year old daughter was always being referred to as "the governor's daughter," and one day when someone asked if she was Firstname Henry, she said "No, I'm the governor's daughter." Her mother took her aside and explained that she shouldn't identify herself as "the governor's daughter," but as her own name. So the next time she is out with dad a sweet little old lady says "And you must be the governor's daughter!" To which the child supposedly responds: "I used to think I was, but my mom says I'm not."

Very cute, but a little *too* cute. And SO swears he's heard it before. What do you think?

Aha: Found this joke here: http://www.members.tripod.com/~Funnny_2/resume.html
Who's Kid?

A mother was trying to help her little daughter
understand how to use the language.

One day, when an acquaintance asked the child her
name, she said, "I'm Mr. White's daughter."

Later, the mother told her that that had been wrong,
that she really should have said, "I'm Janie White."

The little girl let this sink in; and so it was that
the next Sunday in church, when the minister saw
her and said fondly, "And this is Mr. White's little
girl, I think," she responded, "Well, no, I guess not;
I used to think I was, but my mother says I'm not."

____________________________________________

Which doesn't disprove the story, of course.

[Artemis]

Don't most kids by the age of five know their own name? That's one reason why my BS-meter is going off...

[Chloe]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Don't most kids by the age of five know their own name? That's one reason why my BS-meter is going off...

No, she knew her own name. The story is that she preferred to be called "the governor's daughter" because it made her feel important.

[snopes]

Same joke here (#662): http://www.awordinyoureye.com/jokes28thset.html

- snopes

[Chloe]

Thank you! Also found a version here: http://www.e-jokes.net/kids/008.htm

And here: http://makefun.cn/category/funny-jokes/children-jokes/

And here: http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/14040.htm

Actually, Governor Henry's version makes more sense than any of these. And he also claims it happened on Dec 24, 2003, so may predate these jokes.

Or maybe not.

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Chloe

Actually, Governor Henry's version makes more sense than any of these. And he also claims it happened on Dec 24, 2003, so may predate these jokes.

Given that the version I posted was up on the Internet by February 2003, probably not:

http://web.archive.org/web/200302030...es28thset.html

- snopes

[Chloe]

You rock, snopes! I declared this over lunch to be an example of the governor taking a little liberty with an anecdote, but stopped short of putting money on it. Next time...

[Bonnie]

From Drew Pearson's national "Washington Merry-Go-Round" column (this reprinting from The Salisbury [Maryland] Times, 25 January 1964),

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...rsaysImnot.jpg

[Chloe]

Aha--a version with a well-known father, which makes much more sense.

[mags]

To be fair, the OK governor did not tell you an Urban Legend, he repeated a joke as if it were true. He knew it wasn't true, because he was supposedly with her at the time she said it. So, he wasn't just repeating a story someone else told him thinking it was true, he had heard the joke and repeated it putting himself as one of the main characters.

[Chloe]

Originally Posted by mags

To be fair, the OK governor did not tell you an Urban Legend, he repeated a joke as if it were true. He knew it wasn't true, because he was supposedly with her at the time she said it. So, he wasn't just repeating a story someone else told him thinking it was true, he had heard the joke and repeated it putting himself as one of the main characters.

Isn't that worse? He didn't tell a story he thought was true, but repeated one he knew was untrue, at least as far as the details of it go. Where do the lines go between embroidering a story, creating a fictional story, and telling a lie? (Let me add that, apart from his tendency to go on too long in speeches, I like Henry; he vetoed a heinous abortion bill here last month, so I am not "out to get him," or anything).

[snopes]

Originally Posted by mags

To be fair, the OK governor did not tell you an Urban Legend, he repeated a joke as if it were true. He knew it wasn't true, because he was supposedly with her at the time she said it. So, he wasn't just repeating a story someone else told him thinking it was true, he had heard the joke and repeated it putting himself as one of the main characters.

"Joke repeated as truth with details modified to establish teller's personal connection to the story" = "urban legend"

- snopes

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by Bonnie

From Drew Pearson's national "Washington Merry-Go-Round" column (this reprinting from The Salisbury [Maryland] Times, 25 January 1964)

Actually, it appears that syndicated columnist George Dixon included this anecdote in his 29 December 1959 "Washington Scene" column.

Anthony J. Celebrezze, the four-term Mayor of Cleveland, met in Washington the other day with a group of Ohioans, including Senator Frank J. Lausche and retired Supreme Court Justice Harold H. Burton. Somehow, they got onto the subject of bringing up children.

Mayor Celebrezze said he and his wife had cautioned their 11-year-old daughter, Susan, against trading on her father's civic eminence.

"Stand on your own feet," they told the child.

A few months ago, however, Mrs. Celebrezze overheard Susan boasting that her father was Mayor. This time the mother gave the mayoral offspring a good setting out.

The lesson seemed to stick, and all went well until some new neighbors moved in. They, too, had a small daughter upon whom Susan made a formal call.

The new neighbor woman met the caller at the door and said: "You're Susan, daughter of Mayor Celebrezze, aren't you?"

Susan replied: "Yes, but my mother says I'm not."