All of a sudden, another cowboy bursts through the swinging doors on his horse, and screams, "I'M ELUSIVE JOE! NOBODY'S EVER CAUGHT ME!"
Then he spins his horse around and gallops right back out.
Nobody in the saloon reacts at all.
The stranger turns to the bartender. "What the hell was that?"
"That," the bartender says, wiping a glass, "was Elusive Joe."
"Why do they call him 'Elusive Joe'?"
"'Cause no one's ever caught him."
"Wow," says the stranger. "Why has no one ever caught him?"
The bartender stops wiping. "Because nobody gives a fuck about him."
Joke Poo: The Phantom Plumber
A tourist wanders into a dilapidated apartment building in a run-down city district and asks the superintendent for help.
Suddenly, a man in overalls bursts out of a nearby apartment, wielding a plunger and yelling, “I’M THE PHANTOM PLUMBER! NOBODY’S EVER CALLED ME!”
He then dashes back inside, slamming the door.
Nobody in the hallway reacts at all.
The tourist turns to the superintendent. “What the heck was that?”
“That,” the superintendent sighs, unlocking a mailbox, “was the Phantom Plumber.”
“Why do they call him ‘The Phantom Plumber’?”
“‘Cause nobody’s ever called him.”
“Wow,” says the tourist. “Why has no one ever called him?”
The superintendent stops unlocking. “Because he’s terrible.”
Alright, let’s lasso this joke and see what makes it tick.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: Classic Western scene, creates expectation of danger or excitement.
- Character: Elusive Joe, presented as a fearsome figure, but his action is comically performative.
- Misdirection: The audience expects ‘Elusive Joe’ to be elusive because he’s skilled, dangerous, or clever.
- Punchline: The anti-climax! Elusive Joe is un-pursued due to sheer lack of interest. The humor lies in the subversion of expectations and the nonchalant delivery by the bartender. It highlights the absurdity of self-importance.
Key Elements:
- The Wild West: The iconic setting is crucial for establishing the initial expectations.
- “Elusive Joe” Character: A self-proclaimed outlaw, ripe for parody.
- The Bartender: The stoic, world-weary observer who delivers the punchline.
- Lack of Motivation: The core reason for Joe’s elusiveness, and the humor’s source.
Comedic Enrichment – New Joke/Observation:
Let’s riff on the “Wild West” and “Lack of Motivation” elements:
New Joke:
A posse finally corners Elusive Joe. He’s surrounded, weapons drawn. The Sheriff steps forward.
“Joe,” he says, “we got you now! You’re wanted for bank robbery, cattle rustling, and disturbin’ the peace!”
Joe shrugs. “Yeah, well, I was hopin’ for somethin’ a little more impressive. ‘Disturbin’ the peace’? I thought maybe I accidentally invented time travel or somethin’.”
The Sheriff sighs. “Honestly, Joe, half the reason we finally came after you is we were bored. We ran out of stuff to watch on the telegraph.”
Explanation of how it works:
This joke builds upon the original by playing with the actual reason a posse might be after Elusive Joe. Instead of nobody caring enough to pursue him, they’re pursuing him out of utter boredom. This is a modern twist that fits the original’s spirit of mocking inflated egos and revealing the mundane truth behind grand claims. The reference to “telegraph watching” adds a touch of anachronistic humor. It is not enough to be elusive, you need to be interesting.