What are these jokes meant to be saying about Soviet russia ?

Question

Jokes invented by Yakov Smirnoff, involving the comparisons of things in the United States and the Soviet Union.

"In America, you drive car. In Soviet Russia, car drives you!"

"In America, you go to parties. In Soviet Russia, party goes to you!"

"In America, you watch television. In Soviet Russia, television watches you!"

"In America, you define dictionary. In Soviet Russia, dictionary defines you!"

"In America, you shoot gun. In Soviet Russia, gun shoots you!"

Answer 1

I'd say give the 10-points to Zmejka, but we'd also have to give Mr. Smirnoff props for alluding to the old joke (actually, ripping it off):  First you drink the bottle, then the bottle drinks you.

Answer 2

Being Russian myself i can understand  3 of these jokes, to another 2 i have suggestions

"In America, you go to parties. In Soviet Russia, party goes to you!" Party in Soviet Russia is the Communist Party and it had a total control over live of soviet people. For example if a wife gets to know her husband is cheating on her in Soviet Russia she could go to the major party member at his work and complain. That party memner then would talk to her husband and say that he must stay in the family and stop cheating because family is the "cell of the society" and if leaves his family for another woman he could be excluded from the Communist party.

"In America, you watch television. In Soviet Russia, television watches you!" Connected to the belief that total control of the government over people stretches to their personal life, even at home they can't get rid of that and even tv watches what they're doing and what they're talking about.

"In America, you define dictionary. In Soviet Russia, dictionary defines you!" The party and the government defines who are you and how you should behave, you're not free to determine yourself (because ot total control)

"In America, you shoot gun. In Soviet Russia, gun shoots you!" - may be remembering of the times when a man could be put in jail or be shot (by Stalin's secret orders) because they were "enemies" of Soviet Russia or government, speaking about things they were not satisfied about, crytising the way government exercise, making jokes about party leaders etc.

"In America, you drive car. In Soviet Russia, car drives you!"  - may be also remembering the times when for such "enemies" of Soviet Russia a car secretly came in the middle of the night and took all family members and nobody saw them after that (they were put in jails or shot).

Answer 3

hahaha

Answer 4

If you don't understand a joke, it means it was not funny and/or you're not a target audience. Personally, I'm leaning towards "not funny", which makes any explanation pointless.

I'm sure someone here will write a dissertation on what they were supposed to mean.

Answer 5

its just joke