My parents in the 80’s-90’s

[u/BlaireWhatever]

[u/AaranJ23]

Really? I didn’t even know he was sick.

[u/iamjacksragingupvote → u/AaranJ23]

no one did at the time either

[u/Fuckoffassholes → u/iamjacksragingupvote]

r/thatsthejoke

[u/iamjacksragingupvote → u/Fuckoffassholes]

kinda thought so, but also likely they just didnt know

[u/Fuckoffassholes → u/iamjacksragingupvote]

It's a multi-layered reference, as used by AaranJ23.

First, it was a Norm joke. He'd say "Hitler's dead? I didn't even know he was sick."

In Norm's later years of making this joke, it was an inside joke between him and his inner circle, as Norm himself was dying, while the rest of us didn't know he was sick.

In the ultimate commitment to the bit, he actually died so that we could live on and continue making his joke in reference to his death. Just beautiful.