The grandfather laughs and says "the worm is much too wriggly and the hole is far too small, but sure, I'll take your bet".
The boy runs inside the house and returns with a can of hairspray. After lying the worm straight and showering it with the hairspray, the worm is stiff enough for the boy to easily slide it into the hole in the ground.
The grandfather smiles and shakes his head while handing the boy his $20, and heads in the house.
A while later he returns, and hands the boy $50.
The boy looks at it confused, then says "grandpa, you already paid me, and the bet was only for $20".
The grandpa smiles wide and informs the boy "indeed, that $50 is from grandma".
Joke Poo: The Stuffed Pigeon
A woman turns to her husband and says, “I bet you $50 I can get that stuffed pigeon back on the branch it just fell from.”
The husband laughs and says, “Honey, it’s stuffing is spilling out, the branch is slippery, and it has no feet! I’ll take that bet!”
The woman goes to the garage and returns with a super-powered leaf blower. She aims the nozzle at the pigeon, blasting it with such force that it shoots straight up and gets wedged back on the branch, albeit somewhat battered and even more dishevelled.
The husband shakes his head, impressed, and hands her the $50, then heads back inside the house.
A little while later, he comes back outside and hands his wife $100.
The wife looks at the money, confused, and says “Sweetie, you already paid me, and the bet was only for $50!”
The husband smiles sheepishly and informs his wife, “Yeah, but that $100 is from the neighbor’s cat.”
Alright, let’s dissect this earthworm-and-hairspray humor!
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: A seemingly straightforward bet is proposed based on a perceived impossibility. An old man believes the worm is too wriggly, and the hole is too small.
- Twist 1: The boy uses an unexpected tool (hairspray) to overcome the challenge through unconventional means. This is a violation of expectations.
- Twist 2: The punchline introduces a second layer of subversion: Grandma was betting on the boy to succeed and pays him a larger sum, revealing a hidden layer of knowledge or expectation about the boy’s methods. The implication is Grandma knew the boy would find a creative way to ‘cheat’.
- Key Elements:
- The Bet: Represents risk, expectation, and competitive spirit.
- Earthworm: Symbolizes natural, uncontrollable elements, often considered slimy or unpleasant.
- Hairspray: Represents artificial control, manufactured beauty, and the application of technology to solve a ‘natural’ problem.
- Grandfather: Represents age, experience, tradition, and perhaps a naivety to creative solutions.
- Grandma: Represents perhaps a bit of ‘knowingness’, awareness to the boy’s mischievous/creative nature, and a willingness to profit from it.
- The Money: Represents the tangible outcome of the bet and the value placed on ingenuity (or trickery!).
Comedic Enrichment/New Humor:
Let’s focus on the hairspray angle and bring in some historical trivia!
Humorous Observation:
Did you know that early hairsprays in the 1940s and 50s were essentially shellac dissolved in alcohol? So, that kid basically entombed that earthworm in a sticky, alcoholic sarcophagus. He didn’t just win a bet; he created a very small, very weird, and very temporary exhibit for future paleontologists to marvel at.
New Joke (Playing on Expectations and Absurdity):
A museum curator is giving a tour of their less-visited exhibits. “And here,” he announces, pointing to a tiny display case, “we have what we believe is the first recorded instance of interspecies hair styling. Radiocarbon dating puts this… thing… at approximately 1987. It appears to be an earthworm, solidified and preserved in what we can only assume was an aggressive amount of Aqua Net. We believe it holds profound implications for our understanding of both early cosmetic practices and… well, how far some people will go to win a bet.”
“Did You Know” Fact with a Humorous Twist:
Did you know that some people are allergic to earthworms? So, Grandma might have been betting on the boy to not just win the bet, but also give Grandpa a surprise trip to the emergency room. “Oh, the earthworm? I’m deathly allergic! Why, thank you for that interesting show!”
Rationale:
These extensions of the joke add layers of absurdity and draw connections to real-world knowledge. They elevate the original joke from a simple trick to a potentially historically significant (and slightly disturbing) event.