Do you remember this hard to answer riddle?

[dmr]

A young boy and his father were in a car accident. Both were injured and rushed to the hospital. They were wheeled into separate operating rooms and two doctors prepped up to work on them, one doctor for each patient.

The doctor operating on the father got started right away, but the doctor assigned to the young boy stared at him in surprise. "I can´t operate on him!" the doctor exclaimed to the staff, "that child is my son!"

How can that be?

I happened to catch a 1973 episode of 'All in the Family' a couple of weeks ago where Gloria presented this riddle to her family; and of course they were all stumped. They came up with some crazy answers, just as I remember in real life, back then, no one 'got' it.

At the end of the episode, Edith finally figured it out. Archie showed his disgust, & Michael, of course was upset that his liberal self didn't know the answer.

Anyway, it's been on my mind since watching how times have changed and also, how that show wouldn't even be aired in prime time today since they talked about women's lib, rights & the right to choose - oh my!

As an exercise, I think I'm going to present the riddle to my son & his girlfriend (both 22) when they get home and see what they answer. I don't think my son will be stumped, nor will his girlfriend. But it is something to think about, considering how all these Republican men are turning back the clock on women's rights and issues. I want them both to stop & think about what is occurring right now that may affect their rights down the road.

:hi:

[niyad]

1. of course I remember the answer--funny, I was thinking about this one just the other day

you have given me an idea--will try this out in various settings this week, see what happens.

[elleng]

2. I can imagine Edith's expression. Thanks for this!

:hi:

[Auggie]

3. Yep

That show, in so many ways, was an amazing turning point in American media

[MH1]

4. I do

that was a great episode. Thanks for the reminder.

[sakabatou]

5. I know the answer

But I'm not telling

[dmr]

6. Good, I purposely left out the answer

:hi:

[alphafemale]

7. I don't think people today would be "stumped"

I think nearly half of docs are women now...not so much when that episode aired.

[sakabatou]

8. Sh! You'll spoil the answer!

[dipsydoodle]

Spoiler

Not really. Thanks for reminding me of that oldie.

[Ramulux]

9. Is it...

because the kid has two dads?

[dmr]

10. Wouldn't that be awesome?

:hi:

[sarge43]

11. Excellent.

How times have changed.

[valerief]

12. That's so funny. About twenty years ago, I presented that riddle to

my mother and her bingo friends. None figured it out, but when I told them the answer, they still didn't understand. When I explained the preconceived idea that stopped them from figuring it out, they STILL didn't understand. And I couldn't understand how they couldn't understand the point of the riddle.

That's what talking to conservatards is like now. About anything.

[dmr]

13. I could be disappointed, but in another way they made me happy!

:rofl:

The kids didn't get it!

But, they did say, "Well, duh, they have two dads!"

I love the young.

My son laughed & said, "Well, mom, you failed me. If you'd done your job, I wouldn't be sexist!"

:rofl: I love that kid. :hug:

[badgerpup]

14. I had this riddle in the 4th grade...

The answer blew a lot of the kids away...and I think it also opened a lot of eyes to POSSIBILITIES...

:wow:

[Qutzupalotl]

15. Saw it on TV and it stumped me then.

Saw it here today and it stumped me until I remembered when Edith got it. But that's cheating. I didn't "get it" on my own, even today. Maybe I'm sexist, maybe I just suck at riddles. But it is a good one for a reason.

[poverlay]

16. As a SAHD who has supported his wife's career since the kids were born, I'm

proud to say that neither of my children thought that was difficult enough to be called a riddle when posed to them several years ago.. They got it instantly....

[jberryhill]

17. Not much of a stumper these days, IMHO

Don't remember the All In The Family episode, but as I sit here it stuck me "what's the mystery in that?" and I really had to think back to the time it would have been one.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. K&R! I remember that!

I got it now and I got it then, but I remember what it was like when people were stumped by this. How times have changed... And for the better, but it's nice to remember back when we were thinking about all this and times were a changin' :hi:

[Leftist Agitator]

19. I'm 29, and when I was 6 years old, my gifted teacher asked me this "riddle".

I immediately answered "his mother", and wondered what the hell was supposed to be so puzzling about the question...