Wilson
Okay, here’s my attempt at a “Joke Poo,” taking your Tim Allen joke and twisting it:
Joke Poo: “Cosmic Customer Service”
What does Neil deGrasse Tyson ask when he’s stranded alone on a newly discovered planet and his telescope breaks?
… Customer Service.
Alright, let’s dive into this joke.
Analysis:
- Premise: The joke sets up a hypothetical scenario: Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (from the sitcom Home Improvement) is on a deserted island.
- Punchline: The answer is “Wilson,” referring to the volleyball that Tom Hanks’ character, Chuck Noland, befriends in the movie Cast Away.
- Humor Mechanism: The humor relies on a pun/reference. It leverages the audience’s knowledge of Home Improvement and Cast Away and the shared trope of loneliness and finding inanimate companionship in isolation. The unexpected connection between the two characters, both known for needing someone to talk to, is the source of the laugh.
Key Elements:
- Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor: A hyper-masculine, accident-prone, and often clueless but well-meaning TV character. He’s known for his “more power!” grunts and his frequent interactions with his unseen neighbor, Wilson, over the fence.
- Deserted Island: Represents isolation, loneliness, and the need for companionship.
- Wilson (the Volleyball): A symbol of connection and sanity in the face of extreme isolation in Cast Away.
Comedic Enrichment (New Material):
Type: Witty Observation
Targeting the Tim Allen/Wilson (both neighbor and volleyball) connection:
“It’s ironic, isn’t it? Tim Allen made a career out of talking to a Wilson he couldn’t see over a fence. Tom Hanks literally depended on a Wilson for his survival. I wonder if Al Borland ever felt left out that HE wasn’t the inanimate object getting all the attention?”
Why it works:
- It expands on the core joke by highlighting the parallel in Tim Taylor’s relationship with his unseen neighbor and Chuck Noland’s relationship with the volleyball.
- It brings in Al Borland, Tim Taylor’s assistant, and comments on his lack of value relative to Wilson.
- It adds a layer of self-awareness about the absurdity of the original joke.
Another Possibility (Did You Know? – Amusing Tidbit):
“Did you know that the volleyball used in Cast Away was actually named ‘Sonny’ by the film crew? It’s said Tom Hanks would often chat with it between takes, completely unaware that he had the wrong name. Method acting to the extreme!”
Why it works:
- It takes the “Wilson” connection from the original joke and provides a surprising, behind-the-scenes detail about the film.
- It adds another layer of humor by suggesting the real volleyball felt neglected and unheard.
- It plays into the theme of isolation.
Therefore, the original joke is a simple pun that plays on the shared need for companionship of both Tim Taylor and Chuck Noland, I expanded on it by commenting on Tim’s on-screen companion, Al, being left out, or a trivia tidbit about the real name of the Cast Away volleyball.