Mary stands up and says, "My mom gets up early every day and she brushes her hair, does her makeup, puts on her prettiest dress, nicest earrings, her highest heels; then she leaves the house to go to work."
The teacher says. "Thank you, Mary. Now: can anyone give an example of a simple sentence?"
And little Johnny stands up and says, "Mary's mom is a whore."
Joke Poo: The Art Critic’s Critique
A renowned art professor asks her graduate seminar, “Can anyone offer a detailed analysis of this abstract expressionist painting?”
Penelope rises and says, “The artist masterfully uses impasto to create texture, the bold color palette evokes a sense of raw emotion, and the chaotic composition speaks to the fragmented nature of modern existence, challenging conventional notions of beauty and form.”
The professor nods approvingly. “Thank you, Penelope. Now, can anyone offer a concise summary of the piece?”
And little Bartholomew pipes up, “It looks like a dog pooed on a canvas.”
Okay, let’s break down this joke and see what we can extract for comedic enrichment.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: A third-grade teacher asks for examples of a “long compound sentence” and then a “simple sentence.”
- Mary’s Response: A grammatically correct, albeit verbose, description of a mother’s morning routine, fulfilling the compound sentence request. It emphasizes the meticulous preparation, hinting at an effort to impress.
- Johnny’s Response: A brutally short, direct, and judgmental statement about Mary’s mother, offered as a “simple sentence.” The humor derives from the unexpected contrast between Mary’s innocent description and Johnny’s cynical conclusion, implying a possible motivation for the elaborate morning routine.
- Key Elements:
- Juxtaposition of innocence (Mary) and cynicism/crassness (Johnny).
- The contrasting formality of grammar lesson versus the shocking content of Johnny’s sentence.
- The implication that outward appearance can be deceptive or that people might judge others based on their appearance.
- The comedic effect of a child saying something inappropriate/adult.
Comedic Enrichment – New Joke/Observation:
Observation on Proverbial Wisdom (playing off the “simple sentence”):
“It’s funny how we complicate things with compound sentences when a simple sentence can deliver a brutal, albeit less nuanced, truth. You know, like when someone spends hours crafting the perfect online profile and then you just think, ‘That person owns too many cat sweaters.'”
Joke Playing on the setup:
“So, my linguistics professor posed the same question: ‘Give me a simple sentence.’ A hand shot up in the back. It was Brenda, who’s known for her philosophical rants after three espressos. She proclaimed: ‘To be or not to be…depends.’ The professor sighed. ‘Brenda, that’s existential angst in a nutshell, not a simple sentence.’ Brenda just shrugged and said, ‘Well, reality is complicated, teach, even for a mom who’s up to no good.'”
Did you know/ Interesting Factoid:
“Did you know the shortest grammatically correct sentence in English is arguably ‘Go.’ (Imperative verb). It’s amazing how much baggage Johnny managed to pack into a sentence only slightly longer and grammatically less challenging.”