Give them a hand
Okay, here’s my “Joke Poo” version of the cannibal joke:
Title: Sewage Treatment Puns
What do sanitation workers do after a particularly awful sewage-related pun is made at the wastewater treatment plant?
They flush it down the drain.
Okay, let’s dissect this cannibal comedy!
Joke Breakdown:
- Premise: Cannibals are gathered.
- Question: What’s their reaction to a good joke?
- Punchline: “Give them a hand.”
- Humor Mechanism: Wordplay/Pun. The phrase “give them a hand” is a common expression of appreciation, but takes on a literal, gruesome meaning in the context of cannibalism. It’s the juxtaposition of the ordinary phrase with the cannibalistic interpretation that creates the humor.
Key Elements:
- Cannibalism (dark humor element)
- Social Interaction/Group Dynamic
- The phrase “give them a hand”
- The concept of appreciation/acknowledgement
Comedic Enrichment:
Okay, let’s use those elements to create something new:
Option 1: A Witty Observation:
“Cannibals are notoriously difficult to book for open mic night. They’re always getting into arms races over who tells the best joke, and the audience tends to eat up the material, sometimes literally. Afterwards, the polite thing to do is, of course, to offer constructive criticism, piece by piece.”
Why it works:
- Builds upon the initial pun, adding further wordplay around body parts and related cannibalistic actions.
- Creates a scenario (open mic night) and plays with the potential absurdity.
Option 2: A ‘Did You Know’ Funny Factoid:
“Did you know that a study by the University of Unidentified Meats found that the expression ‘give them a hand’ originated not from applause, but from ancient cannibalistic rituals? Apparently, the best way to show appreciation to the tribal storyteller was to… well, you can guess. Thankfully, modern applause is far less messy.”
Why it works:
- Takes a familiar saying and gives it a darkly humorous, completely fabricated origin.
- Creates an academic-like context (University study) for added absurdity.
Option 3: A New Joke:
Why did the cannibal bring a thesaurus to the barbecue?
He wanted to find more synonyms for “palatable appendage!”
Why it works:
- Takes the original’s focus on body parts and adds a element of sophistication (use of a thesaurus)
- Creates absurd scenario
Hopefully, these build on the original joke and offer some extra humor!