I adore found humor.
To me, there is little that amuses me more than finding humor in the ordinary, in something you know hundreds of people have walked by and have failed to see.
My favorite found humor in Calgary used to be this sign, outside a strip mall a mere ten minute drive from my house.
(Un)fortunately, two of the stores are no more, but Just for Lovers seems to have survived downturns, soft economic situations, and the like.
Yesterday, I searched for found humor in my favorite locale: the book store.
I walked around and looked for haphazard pairings of books, titles that didn’t seem to go together but became humorous when paired. I didn’t move the books; I simply discovered them side by side. Then I took pictures.
This is what I found:
PAIRING 1:
PAIRING 2:
PAIRING 3:
PAIRING 4:
PAIRING 5:
.
YOUR TURN:
Do you have any punchlines or captions for these?
Any unusual pairings you have (or would like to) come across?
LOL. I love these. Too funny! I posted a sign on my blog a week or so ago. There was a local store that sold firearms and the name of it was “PMS Firearms.”
Hilarious! I’m laughing out loud. Here’s the link, everyone: http://giddysap.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/local-business-name-is-loaded/
Your blog of found humor took me back to when I lived on the island of Guam. There was always some sort of road project on this tiny island. One day, as I drove down the major highway, I saw one of the road signs that read, “Slow Men Working” That information was so very true. These men were asleep in the shade as I drove by. And the intersection they were working on took what seemed like an eternity to finish.
Found humor in Guam. Love it! When irony goes literal…
Thanks for the morning giggle. 🙂
You’re welcome!
I think the pairings speak for themselves! Great way to start the day/week. Thanks Leanne!
Thanks, Tameri.
I’ve never thought of doing that, but now I can’t wait to back to the bookstore..lol. The vampire scenario made me laugh out loud…
Nothing like mischief in the bookstore…
Not a pairing so much but something that made me giggle at the local strip mall (that due to its some what sad nature probably shouldn’t have) was a gentleman holding a sign saying he was a homeless Veterinarian….which I highly doubted.
Maybe a veterinarian for extinct animals?
ha! So funny!
How about: The Scarlet Pimpernel and Diary of a Wimpy Kid
or Hollywood Weddings and Happily N’Ever After? Or … Behemoth and Moby Dick?
Fab pairings. The last one made me gaffaw!
Haha! Are you sure you found all of those together? There wasn’t any subtle Ironic Mom manipulation?
I swear! (I could’ve done better if I manipulated…)
Alas, I can’t recall any funny pairings. However, there is a hair salon down the street from me called “Cuts Down Under.” I’m sure they were thinking Australia, but come on guys, did you spend more than 4 minutes considering how that name might be received?
LMAO
That is hilarious. On so many levels. Well, especially on one level…
I would totally go to Cuts Down Under.
(Do they do bikini waxes, too? Please say yes.)
We wished we’d had the camera ready … we once drove passed a cow that was chewing on one of those yellow road warning signs. The sign was for “Open cattle range” … hope that qualifies as a pairing.
It qualifies exceptionally well!
I could probably run over Snooki with a grocery cart in the store and not recognize her. That picture=first time I remember seeing her. Come to think of it, doesn’t she somehow connect to surviving worst parenting fears?
I laugh at the image of you running over Snooki with a grocery cart. Now there’s a speed bump…
And well played on the parenting fears connection!
I have a nice picture from the local library of the book “Is He Lying to You?” shelved next to “Marry HIm – The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough”. A little further over is “Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!” next to “The Tibetan Art of Parenting”, which for some reason I find wildly hilarious.
Brilliant pairings. Love those!
The Kama Sutra and “Practicing Abstinence” would be a delightful duo. #IYKWIM.
Ha. Maybe for someone who wasn’t abstinent by choice?
Of course I love Pairing 5. Your blog is a wonderful place!
Thanks, Charli. I laughed, too, and then avoided explaining the humor to my 7yo daughter who wanted to know why I took the photo and laughed…
LOL!!! 😛
🙂
I’m a fan of “finding humor” in signs and captions… never thought about pairing them. You gave me new life! 😀
The only “pairing” I can think of is this one http://www.myspace.com/laserre/photos/23396128 (blue sign says “every directIon”)
Fabulous! And thanks for the translation. 🙂
I was struck by the stupidity of a sign we saw at a railroad crossing the other day…it urged people not to stop on the tracks!
Wendy
Seriously. There’s a candidate for the Darwin Awards…
Great discoveries, Leanne!
Thanks, TH!
There was a gentlemen’s club in Denver that always celebrated October as Breast Awareness month…loved that.
I bet they raise things in honour…
The local McDonalds was torn down and rebuilt. They left the marquee with a closed sign so that people wouldn’t drive into the big hole, hoping for a Big Mac.
The quiet desperation…
Doesn’t anyone every check this stuff out before they put books out! Geez, how hard it is to read two titles sitting next to each other. I have say, I LOVE your sense of humor. You don’t know me but I’ve been reading your blog, and I really enjoy it. So much so that I have given you the Versatile Blogger Award (you can read details in my latest post). Feel free to do with it as you want. I am happy to share you with my blog readers and give you a bit of link love. Cheers!
Thanks so much, Stacy. I’m off to check it out. 😀
I am dying over the “lovers” book store being above the doggie-style groomers.
Found humor is delicious, indeed.