Man goes to the doctor, tells him “I’ve got this awful headache, paired with a bad cough and my nose is running like crazy!”
Doctor says “Okay, can you go over to that window and stick your tongue out for me please?”
Man says “I mean, yeah… but what good’s that gonna do?”
Doctor says: “I don’t like the man who lives over there.”
Joke Poo: The Architect’s Revenge
An architect goes to the city planner, complaining, “I’ve got this persistent writer’s block, coupled with the city council rejecting my new building designs! It’s driving me mad!”
The city planner says, “Okay, can you go over to that scale model of the city we have here and knock over that tiny church on Elm Street, please?”
The architect says, “I mean, yeah… but how will that help me design a building?”
The city planner says: “I hate the pastor who runs services there, he always parks in my spot. “
Okay, here’s my analysis and attempt to enrich this joke:
Analysis of the Original Joke:
- Core Mechanic: The humor stems from misdirection and absurdity. The patient expects a medical diagnosis, but the doctor’s actions are driven by personal animosity. It’s a subversion of expectations, leaning into the “bad joke” territory with a nonsensical punchline.
- Key Elements:
- Doctor-Patient Relationship: A relationship built on trust and expertise.
- Symptom Assessment: The standard process of diagnosing illness.
- Physical Examination: A common element of a doctor’s process.
- Unexpected Motive: The doctor’s real reason for the examination is petty revenge.
- Randomness: The complete non-connection between medical care and the neighbor.
Enrichment & Expansion:
Here are a few ways we can spin this into something new, leveraging fun facts and related ideas:
1. Witty Observation:
“The problem with trusting medical advice is you never know if it’s based on the latest research, or just the doctor’s ongoing feud with the guy who keeps parking in their spot. I mean, I asked for a flu shot, and he told me to yell the alphabet backwards at Mrs. Henderson’s cat. Apparently, she’s been leaving passive-aggressive notes about his rose bushes.”
- Explanation: This builds on the original joke’s theme of misdirection and unexpected motives, but uses a more relatable and slightly exaggerated scenario. It plays on the everyday frustrations we all experience.
2. “Did You Know?” Style Tidbit:
“Did you know that in ancient Egypt, doctors would sometimes diagnose ailments by examining a patient’s urine… while simultaneously using it to predict the Nile’s flood levels? So, basically, sometimes your health check-up was also the local water report. Which makes you wonder how many early medical decisions were actually just educated guesses based on the color of… well, never mind. Point is, doctors have always had questionable priorities.”
- Explanation: This approach relates the joke to historical practices. The Egyptian practice provides a factual basis for the absurdity, adding a layer of humor through the contrast between ancient practices and the original joke’s modern context.
3. Alternate Punchline:
Man goes to the doctor, tells him “I’ve got this awful headache, paired with a bad cough and my nose is running like crazy!”
Doctor says “Okay, can you go over to that window and stick your tongue out for me please?”
Man says “I mean, yeah… but what good’s that gonna do?”
Doctor says: “I’m taking a CME course in a new tongue-based diagnostic approach. It’s experimental, and honestly, I need a warm body to practice on to justify the cost.”
- Explanation: This version keeps the same set up but the punchline subverts expectations in a different way. Instead of malice, the doctor’s motive is career advancement (via some dubious course), highlighting the pressures faced by modern physicians and a bit of dark humor.
4. Expansion joke:
Man goes to the doctor, tells him “I’ve got this awful headache, paired with a bad cough and my nose is running like crazy!”
Doctor says “Okay, can you go over to that window and stick your tongue out for me please?”
Man says “I mean, yeah… but what good’s that gonna do?”
Doctor says: “I don’t like the man who lives over there.”
The man, confused and ill, obliges. The following week, the man returned. “Doc, I’m not feeling any better. I still have the headache, the cough, and the runny nose!”
“Ah,” said the doctor. “Then go to the window and shake your butt at that neighbor!”
“What!” exclaimed the man. “Why?”
“He stole my parking space yesterday!” said the doctor.
Explanation: Builds on the original randomness, but plays out the escalating ridiculousness over time.
The key here is to take the inherent silliness of the original and either find a real-world connection to amplify it, or to play with other subversions of expectations within the doctor-patient scenario.