If humorists hung out with mathematicians for a while, they’d come up with this equation:
JOKE = SET UP + PUNCHLINE
That neat little line is the formula for the majority of jokes out there.
A “set up” is simply a true statement: “I live in Canada.”
A “punchline” is the twisting of (or a commentary on) the set up. “Because I like complaining about the weather.”
Joke material is everywhere.
Because I’m a geek, one of my favourite things to do is to look for found humor, as you no doubt know if you’ve followed my blog for awhile…
Earlier this month, I took my twins to the pet store to try to compensate for the fact that I won’t buy them a puppy, a kitty, or a Justin Bieber poster.
I found set-up statements everywhere. They were basically labeled.
SET-UP A:
PUNCH LINE: Think of all the toilets that have flushed.
~~
SET-UP B:
PUNCH LINE B: Isn’t that what happens when you put Nemo in the microwave?
~~
SET-UP C:
PUNCH LINE: ???
~~
Feel free to share your punch lines for
“Peas are a laxative for a goldfish”
(or share random opinons related to fish as pets or food)
in the comments.
Hmmm…I wish I had a joke but instead just a comment on your timeliness, given that I started the morning with a Platy funeral. Luckily my boys, who do, I swear care about their fish just a little, still think the dying part is pretty cool.
Save money! They’ll deposit their own colorful seascapes.
Parents: Entertain your young ones for hours as they watch to ensure Goldie isn’t constipated.
Kids: Don’t feed those I-hate-them veggies to Goldie. Goldfish deposit evidence.
Okay. That’s all my half-caffeinated brain can muster this morning.
I SO have to get a picture of a sign I recently saw. Have iPhone. Reporter off to snap up a story.
No wonder I saw all those frat guys buying Pepto Bismol?
Here’s my peas punchline:
You’ll always know when the kids snuck them to the fish.
Meanwhile, goldfish are a laxative for drunk frat boys.
This is a great way to look at humor. I love that you share your approach. And yeah, you’re an awesome mom for that pet store visit. As someone who has somehow managed to acquire four cats, my advice is to STAY STRONG.
How do you know when a fish is constipated? Is it especially irritable? Can it not fit in to its tight jeans? And what did they do before people were around? “Ah, cripes, it’s like there’s a cinder-block in my intestines. And that pea plant is RIGHT THERE…”
I’ve never know pooping to be an issue for fish. Seems like we have a “crapload” of it in the bottom of our tank. #Bazinga.
Haha!
Now there’s something to think about next time you eat pea soup.
No I didn’t but it’s given me one more reason to give up peas.
Today is moving day. ….cause we are tired of standing still.. OH well, you still do it better than me / us Sorry I missed the seminar.
I’ll keep that in mind the next time I see a goldfish that’s constipated.
I’ll never be able to eat anything pea-related again. . .
Oh my God! I’m a goldfish!!!
So Goldfish can turn peas into poo!
Because if there’s one thing I’ve always wanted my goldfish to do, it’s poop more.
List of X beat me to my punchline!
“Wait… I’m a goldfish?”
I don’t really have much pet experience, much less pet fish experience – but I am Canadian, so the ‘I live in Canada’ set up interested me. Actually, the ‘because’ part caught my attention more – because I couldn’t really think of a another joke to follow the ‘because’ part. So I googled it, and the internet is absolutely devoid of references to ‘I live in Canada because’ unless it is a reference to being ‘proud to be a Canadian’ or being ‘awesome because I am Canadian’.
So, maybe it is true. We live in Canada because of our perverse pride in our weather!