A little 10-year-old girl was walking home alone from school one day, when a big man on a black motorcycle pulled up beside her.
After following her for a while, he turned to her and asked, “Hey there little girl, do you want to go for a ride?”
“NO!” says the little girl as she keeps walking.
The motorcyclist pulls up beside her again and says, “Hey little girl, I’ll give you $10 if you hop on the back.”
“NO!” she replies and hurries down the street.
One last time, the man tries again:
“Okay kid, final offer – I’ll give you $20 and a big bag of candy if you’ll just hop on the back and we’ll go for a ride.”
The little girl finally stops, turns, and screams,
“LOOK, DAD! You’re the one who bought the Honda instead of the Harley… YOU RIDE IT!!”
Joke Poo: The Tech Support Call
A frazzled 80-year-old man was on a video call with tech support.
The tech support guy, trying to be patient, said, “Okay sir, can you see the little icon of the webcam at the bottom of your screen?”
“No!” the old man replied, squinting at the monitor.
The tech support guy sighed and said, “Alright sir, I’ll give you $10 if you just point your webcam down so I can see what’s going on down there.”
“No!” the old man replied, adjusting his glasses.
The tech support guy, now losing his cool, tried again, “Okay sir, final offer – I’ll give you $20 and a step-by-step printed guide if you just tilt that camera down and let me see!”
The old man stopped, exasperated, and shouted, “LOOK, GRANDSON! You’re the one who insisted on using Zoom instead of the landline… YOU COME FIX IT!”
Okay, let’s dissect this joke:
Key Elements:
- Setting: A seemingly vulnerable little girl walking alone.
- Antagonist: A menacing motorcyclist.
- Conflict: The motorcyclist repeatedly offers increasing inducements for the girl to ride with him.
- Red Herring: The setup leads the audience to assume the motorcyclist has nefarious intentions.
- Twist/Punchline: The girl reveals the motorcyclist is her father, and her reluctance is due to his choice of motorcycle brand.
- Humor Source: Subversion of expectations, situational irony, comedic exaggeration of brand loyalty.
Analysis:
The joke plays on our inherent anxieties about child safety and strangers. It uses the classic “stranger danger” scenario to lull us into a particular expectation, only to shatter it with a mundane (yet humorous) reason for the girl’s resistance. The brand rivalry between Honda and Harley-Davidson is crucial for the punchline’s effectiveness.
Comedic Enrichment:
Let’s play on the themes of motorcycles, brand loyalty, and paternal embarrassment to craft a new joke/observation:
New Observation/Joke:
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Observation: “It’s a parent’s job to embarrass their kids. For some dads, that starts the moment they choose a minivan over a muscle car. For others, it’s the agonizing realization that they bought the touring Honda when they should’ve gone for the aggressive Harley.”
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Joke: Why did the little girl refuse to get on her dad’s Honda motorcycle? Because she said, “Dad, I’d rather walk! At least then, people will assume I’m being kidnapped, not driven by someone in sensible gear.”
Interesting Tidbits to Enhance the Humor:
- Honda vs. Harley-Davidson (Fun Facts):
- Harley-Davidson has a far stronger brand image, especially around the “rebel” ethos, that Honda lacks with its reputation for reliability.
- Harley-Davidson has a HUGE, fiercely loyal fanbase; there are entire communities of Harley riders.
- Statistically, a Harley Owner Group (HOG) chapter owns the road for the sake of companionship and brotherhood and not to transport you from point A to B.
Why this works:
This builds on the original joke by further highlighting the perceived “lameness” of the Honda compared to the Harley-Davidson in the eyes of the child. It exaggerates the girl’s (and perhaps her peer group’s) disdain for the Honda, making the situation even more absurd and funny. Also, a Honda motorcycle is a practical machine for transportation, however, a Harley is a social club.