It was a cold night and George had to work overtime. It's dark, it's cold, and it's a short walk to his apartment building, even shorter if he takes a shortcut through the cemetery.
In the dark he stumbles, trips on a pile of dirt and falls into a grave that had been dug for a burial the next day. Oh, and he dropped his phone and somehow it didn't land in the grave with him.
He tries and tries to climb out, but keeps falling back in, and it's getting colder.
He's shivering and yelling for help.
Along comes Dave, stumbling home from a night at the pub. He hears George calling "help, help, it's cold down here".
Dave finds the grave and replies: " no wonder yer cold, you've kicked all yer dirt off", and proceeds to kick dirt into the grave.
Joke Poo: Office Overload
It was a Tuesday afternoon and Brenda had to work overtime. It’s dreary, it’s boring, and it’s a short elevator ride to the parking garage, even shorter if she cuts through the stationery closet.
In her exhaustion, she misjudges a step, trips over a stack of printer paper and falls into a large cardboard box that was meant for shredding documents the next day. Oh, and she dropped her phone and somehow it didn’t land in the box with her.
She tries and tries to climb out, but keeps slipping on the glossy paper, and she’s getting increasingly frustrated.
She’s panting and quietly cursing her fate.
Along comes Kevin, shuffling back from his own overtime struggle. He hears Brenda’s muffled grumbles: “Damn it, damn it, I’m stuck in here!”.
Kevin finds the box and replies: “No wonder you’re stuck, you’ve shredded all the invoices!”, and proceeds to dump a pile of unlabeled expense reports into the box.
Okay, let’s break down this joke and then exhume some related humor.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: Establishes a spooky setting (dark, cold night, cemetery shortcut), George working overtime, and an unfortunate accident (falling into a grave). This builds anticipation.
- Rising Action: George’s repeated failed attempts to escape, the increasing cold, and his cries for help intensify the situation.
- Punchline: The arrival of Dave, the drunk, misunderstandings George’s plight, and instead of helping, makes things worse by burying him more. The humor comes from the irony of Dave’s “helpful” action being the opposite of what’s needed, and the unexpected literal interpretation of George’s complaint about being cold.
- Key Elements:
- Cemetery: Location of the joke, invoking themes of death and the macabre.
- Cold: Primary problem for George, and misinterpreted by Dave.
- Misunderstanding: The core of the joke’s humor.
- Drunk Person: Dave’s intoxication contributes to his misinterpretation and amplifies the absurdity.
- Ironic Help: Dave believes he’s solving the problem, but is actually exacerbating it.
Humor Enrichment:
Let’s focus on the “cold” element and add a “Did You Know?” fact about hypothermia.
The New Bit: A “Did You Know” Graveyard Gag
Setup: “I heard a joke about a guy who fell into a grave on a cold night. Reminds me of something…”
Punchline: “Did you know that one of the first symptoms of hypothermia is impaired judgment and confusion? So, if you find yourself buried alive and shivering, the worst thing that could happen is a well-meaning drunk shows up and tries to ‘help’ you warm up by burying you further. At that point, it’s not just the cold that’s gonna kill ya; it’s irony!”
Why it Works:
- Relates to the original joke: Directly references the original joke and builds upon its themes.
- Uses a factual tidbit: Integrates real information about hypothermia.
- Adds a layer of dark humor: Combines the serious reality of hypothermia with the absurd situation of being buried alive.
- Reinforces the irony: Highlights the central comedic element of the original joke – the misinformed “help” that makes the situation worse.
- Heightens the macabre: By referencing hypothermia, it raises the stakes and hints at more serious consequences.
Alternative Take: A New Punchline
Taking the “cold” element and the “helpful drunk” concept, we can adjust the original joke.
Revised Punchline:
“Along comes Dave, stumbling home from a night at the pub. He hears George calling "help, help, it's cold down here".”
“Dave peers into the grave, scratches his head, and says, "Cold, eh? Well, have you tried setting yourself on fire? Works for me when I’m drunk." Then he throws his still-lit cigarette into the grave.”
Why It Works:
- Even Darker: Takes the absurdity to a more extreme (and hopefully still funny!) place.
- Unexpected: The “solution” is completely ludicrous and inappropriate.
- Consistent with Drunk Logic: Stays true to the stereotype of a drunk person’s ill-conceived ideas.
Both of these approaches aim to enhance the original joke by building on its elements and adding a layer of related, hopefully humorous, content.