renaissance poisson

I've noticed much the same thing. My sister, an RN, is a major exception. She's always been able to banter, and does it well. She works in a hospital outpatient surgery clinic, and says that she's often requested to assist at vasectomies for just that reason -- when a man's getting that sort of surgery, he tends to prefer a nurse who'll make bawdy jokes than one who'll be solicitous.