Little Johnny is excited because the circus has come to town and his mum has got front row tickets for him. Finally the evening comes and Little Johnny and his mum go off to the big top. Little Johnny sits there and enjoys the lions and the tigers and the jugglers and the trapeze artists, and finally out comes little Johnnys favourites, the clowns.
Johnny is loving the clowns and their humorous japes until one of the clowns comes up to him and says 'Little boy are you the front end of an ass?'
'No,' replies little Johnny.
'Are you the rear end of an ass?'
'No,' replies little Johnny again.
'In that case,' says the clown, 'you must be no end of an ass.'
Little Johnny is distraught and he runs out of the circus and all the way home in tears. When his mum catches up with him she says, 'Little Johnny don't worry, your Uncle Marvo, the master of lightning wit, backchat and repartee, is coming to stay tomorrow. We will take him to the circus and he will sort that nasty clown out.' At this news little Johnny cheers up and looks forward to the next night.
The next night comes and, sure enough, Uncle Marvo, the master of lightning wit, backchat and repartee arrives and the three of them set off for the circus. When they get there Little Johnny, his mum and Uncle Marvo, the master of lightning wit, backchat and repartee, sit down and enjoy the lions, the tigers, the jugglers and the trapeze artists, and then out come the clowns.
Again Little Johnny is enjoying their antics and yet again one of the clowns comes up to him and says, 'Little boy are you the front end of an ass?'
Quick as a flash, Uncle Marvo, the master of lightning wit, backchat and repartee jumps up and shouts at the very top of his voice:
'F*ck off you red nosed c*nt!'
Joke Poo: The Legend of Grandma Gertrude (Queen of Sass and Bingo Balls)
Little Timmy is thrilled! His mom got VIP backstage passes for the National Dog Show. He loves seeing all the breeds, the grooming, and the agility course. Then, one of the handlers, a grumpy old man with a comb-over, walks up to Timmy and sneers, “Kid, are you the top dog?”
“No,” Timmy replies, confused.
“Are you the underdog?” the handler grumbles.
“No,” Timmy says again, even more bewildered.
“Then,” the handler says with a sniff, “you must be no kind of dog at all.”
Timmy is devastated! He runs out of the arena in tears. His mom catches up and says, “Don’t worry, sweetie. Grandma Gertrude, the queen of sass and bingo balls, is coming to visit tomorrow. We’ll take her to the Dog Show, and she’ll put that rude handler in his place!” Timmy brightens up at this news and eagerly awaits Grandma Gertrude.
The next day arrives, and sure enough, Grandma Gertrude, the queen of sass and bingo balls, is ready. The three of them head to the Dog Show. They settle into their VIP seats, and Timmy enjoys watching the various breeds prance around the ring. Then, the grumpy handler with the comb-over spots Timmy and walks over, a glint in his eye.
He approaches Timmy and says, “Little boy, are you the top dog?”
Faster than you can yell “BINGO!”, Grandma Gertrude, the queen of sass and bingo balls, jumps up, grabs her purse, swings it around and yells at the top of her lungs:
“Get away from my grandson, you old prune! You look like a poodle that swallowed a hairball!”
Okay, let’s dissect this joke and see what we can wring out of it.
Key Elements of the Joke:
- Setup: The setup is fairly lengthy. It establishes Little Johnny’s excitement, the clown’s taunting, and the promise of Uncle Marvo, a “master of lightning wit, backchat and repartee.” This builds a specific expectation.
- The Clown’s Insult: The repeated “front/rear end of an ass” routine, while childish, sets up a pattern of wordplay.
- The Punchline: The unexpected, aggressive, and vulgar outburst from Uncle Marvo completely subverts the expectation of clever wit. The humor lies in the contrast between the built-up anticipation and the abrupt, crude reality.
- Repetition: The repetition of “Uncle Marvo, the master of lightning wit, backchat and repartee” adds to the irony and amplifies the punchline.
Analysis:
The joke is funny because it exploits the gap between expectation and reality. We expect Uncle Marvo to deliver a clever, witty comeback. Instead, we get a raw, unrefined insult. The length of the setup actually enhances the humor, as it gives more time to establish the expectation of a sophisticated retort.
Comedic Enrichment – Observation/Joke:
Knowing how to play on expectation, let’s craft something new.
Observation:
“You know, ‘Uncle Marvo, the master of lightning wit, backchat and repartee,’ should have known that in the world of comedy, there’s a fine line between ‘repartee’ and ‘R-rated.'”
Why this works:
- It references the specific element of Uncle Marvo’s description.
- It uses wordplay around the word “repartee” and its similarity to “R-rated.”
- It highlights the contrast between what Uncle Marvo should have delivered and what he actually delivered. It implies that there’s more to great comedy than using foul language.
Joke Variation 1:
Why did Uncle Marvo get kicked out of the comedy club?
Because his “lightning wit” was more like a lightning strike… of profanity!
Joke Variation 2:
Uncle Marvo’s superpower wasn’t wit; it was the ability to make a sailor blush using only two words.
Did You Know (Amusing Tidbit):
Did you know that the term “repartee” comes from the French word “repartir,” meaning “to reply quickly”? It highlights just how ironic Uncle Marvo’s response was – it was fast, but far from witty.