Professional Joke (Consulting)

“Living the Dream”

RW

Barnard, VT

November 3, 2020

Informant Data:

RW was born in Atlanta, Georgia on June 23, 2000. His father is of German descent, and his mother is Indian – she grew up in India before immigrating to the United States as a graduate college student. They both continue to strongly identify with and to practice their respective cultural backgrounds. RW himself identifies with both cultures, frequently visiting German and India, practicing rituals of both cultures at home, and speaking both languages. RW has one sister who is a senior in high school and whose interests involve Democratic political volunteer work. RW is currently a senior at Dartmouth College studying Economics and German. He has spent the past few years studying, traveling, and working various short-term jobs. Next year, he plans on working in consulting at McKinsey & Company as a full-time associate consultant.

Contextual Data:

Cultural Context: McKinsey & Co. is often considered one of the most prestigious consulting firms in the nation, and it pulls its associates from some of the most elite educational institutions and family backgrounds. Moreover, McKinsey & Co. garners respect from the fact that it doesn’t over-work its staff. It’s considered taboo in the industry of consulting to work weekends, for example, and so for the most part consultants take weekends off and don’t typically work through the night.

Social Context: RW interned at McKinsey & Co. as an associate consultant in Atlanta, GA for 3 months during the summer of 2020. Consistent with the mission of McKinsey, RW’s duties included working as part of a team to advise companies on how they can more effectively run and capitalize on their business. This joke was made during a morning check-in meeting with RW and his team. It occurred after a night during which several members of RW’s team had worked through the night, as is not typically the case, and looked physically weak and tired afterwards. This joke would then be used on any occasion in which RW’s team members had worked through the night and looked tired in the morning.

Item:

“We’re living the dream!!”

Collector’s Notes:

• This joke uses sarcasm to relay the fact that members of RW’s team are engaging in practices contrary to what is normally expected and, moreover, that are desired from the team. They are living exactly the opposite, in this moment, of what they believe the dream to be.

Tags:

• Verbal folklore
• Jokes
• Referential humor
• Consulting

 

Delphine Jrolf

Dartmouth College

RUSS 13

Fall 2020