What do accountants use for birth control?
Their personality
Joke Poo:
What do programmers use for debugging control?
Their rubber duck.
Alright, let’s break down this joke and then build something new from it.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: “What do accountants use for birth control?” – This sets up an expectation of a physical or medical contraceptive method. It also subtly plays on stereotypes about accountants as being practical and logical.
- Punchline: “Their personality.” – This subverts the expected answer. It relies on the stereotype of accountants being perceived as boring, unromantic, or unsexy, thus making their personality an (involuntary) form of birth control.
- Humor Mechanism: The humor comes from the unexpected twist and the reinforcement of a common (though often unfair) stereotype. It’s a self-deprecating jab at accountants.
Key Elements:
- Accountants: The target of the joke. Their profession and associated stereotypes are central.
- Birth Control: The topic is used for misdirection and adds a slightly taboo element.
- Personality: The key word that connects the profession to the birth control idea. It is linked to their personality instead of their profession
Now, let’s build something new based on this, enriched with a little factual tidbit:
Option 1: A “Did You Know?”-style observation:
“Did you know that while the stereotype of accountants lacking romantic appeal is prevalent, a study by Accounting Today found that 78% of accountants own a high-powered calculator? So, while their ‘personality’ might be birth control, their pocket protector definitely isn’t.”
Option 2: A new, related joke:
“Why did the accountant break up with the actuary? Because they couldn’t calculate a compatible level of excitement! Turns out, personality clashes are the most effective form of long-term relationship control.”
Option 3: A Witty Observation:
“It’s ironic that accountants are stereotyped as using their personality for birth control, considering their entire profession is about preventing things from ‘expanding’ unexpectedly.”
Explanation of the New Material:
- Option 1 uses the factual (but humorous) reference to a calculator to provide a counterpoint. It then uses hyperbole “pocket protector” to extend the joke further.
- Option 2 creates a new joke that follows a similar structure but expands on the theme of compatibility and “controlling” relationships.
- Option 3 employs irony to flip the stereotype and connect it directly to the core function of accounting. It relies on the double meaning of “expanding.”
By identifying the elements, understanding the stereotype, and then layering in a factual or related comedic element, we can expand the humorous impact of the original joke.