In this week’s “humor” piece from WaPo’s resident Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Gene Weingarten, he pushes into some edgy, new territory. By edgy, new territory, I mean… He relies on jokes about people from the South who talk funny. Sure, he has a point. Southerners DO talk funny, but Gene was in North Carolina to cover a court case and his BIG takeaway is that people take longer to say things there than other places. Seems like a worthwhile trip, Gene.

The cultural examination seems to focus on the fact that Gene just doesn’t like sitting through the locals trying to get their point across. Here’s how Gene describes one encounter.

Witness: “WAY-ul, ahh CAY-unnt TAY-us-ti-faah to eee-uuuwww thay-ut ahh KNEE-euww thay-ut she HAY-ud TAY-us-ti-faaahd ….”

Me: “Please stop.”

Witness: “… but ahh be-LAY-uv ahh be-CAY-um a-WAY-uhr of thay-ut …”

Me: “Please spontaneously combust.”

It sounds painful and hard to understand. In other words, Gene gets to experience what it’s like to read one of his own columns.