He told the jeweler he was looking for a special ring for his girlfriend. The jeweler looked through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring.
The man said, 'No, I'd like to see something more special.'
At that statement, the jeweler went to his special stock and brought another ring over. 'Here's a stunning ring at only $40,000,' the jeweler said.
The lady's eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement. The old man seeing this said, 'We'll take it.' The jeweler asked how payment would be made and the man stated, 'By check. I know you need to make sure my check is good, so I'll write it now and you can call the bank Monday to verify the funds; I'll pick the ring up Monday afternoon.'
On Monday morning, the jeweler angrily phoned the old man and said 'Sir…There's no money in that account.'
''I know,' said the old man…'But let me tell you about my weekend.’
Joke Poo: The Parrot’s Paw Print
A frazzled zookeeper, perpetually covered in birdseed, waddles into a high-end art gallery with a particularly flamboyant parrot perched on his shoulder.
He tells the gallery owner he needs a truly unique piece of art for his aviary’s new "Enrichment Room." The owner raises an eyebrow but leads him to a collection of modern pieces.
"Hmm, no," says the zookeeper, unimpressed. "Something…more avant-garde."
The owner sighs dramatically and leads him to a hidden room. "These pieces are…acquired tastes." He gestures to a blank canvas priced at $50,000.
The parrot squawks, its eyes gleaming. It flaps its wings excitedly, nearly knocking the zookeeper off balance. Seeing the parrot’s enthusiasm, the zookeeper says, "We’ll take it! But I only have payment in kind. I’ll bring in a prize-winning flamingo feather tomorrow. You can have it appraised, and if it’s not enough, I’ll throw in a rare toucan beak."
The gallery owner agrees, intrigued. The next day, he calls the zookeeper, livid. "That feather is worthless! The beak is just plastic!"
"I know," says the zookeeper calmly. "But let me tell you, that parrot painted the best paw print on that canvas last night!"
Okay, let’s break down this joke and then build something new on top of it.
Joke Dissection:
-
Core Elements:
- Age Gap/Trophy Partner: The setup immediately establishes a May-December relationship stereotype.
- Materialism: The focus is on expensive jewelry and the woman’s visible excitement at the prospect of owning it.
- Deception/Scam: The old man uses a bad check to seemingly purchase the ring, only to reveal he had no intention of paying.
- Punchline: The punchline subverts expectations. Instead of an apology or excuse, the man brags about his weekend, implying the charade was purely for his own enjoyment and ego boost.
- Irony: The jeweler is the victim of the scheme, with the joke playing on how obvious the scam was, and how the jeweler was too focused on the sale.
- Humor Derives From:
- The audacity and blatantness of the con.
- The unexpected confession and lack of remorse.
- The implied humiliation and frustration of the jeweler.
- The social commentary on relationships, wealth, and appearances.
Humorous Enrichment (New Joke/Observation):
Let’s play on the "ring" aspect and the underlying theme of deception:
Observation:
"You know, diamonds are marketed as symbols of everlasting love, but their actual value is artificially inflated by De Beers. It’s like the old man in the joke was just taking that deception one step further. He skipped the symbol of love altogether and went straight for the fantasy… then skipped the payment. In a way, he was more honest than the diamond industry – at least he wasn’t pretending to offer anything of lasting worth!"
Alternate Joke:
A financial advisor is counseling a client:
"Okay, Mr. Henderson, you’re planning to retire, but your savings are… concerning. We really need to find some way to increase your cashflow."
Mr. Henderson smiles. "Don’t worry, I have a plan. I’m going to go to a jewelry store with a much younger woman, pretend to buy her a very expensive ring with a bad check, and then have a great weekend."
The advisor raises an eyebrow. "Sir, with all due respect, I don’t think that is a sound investment plan."
Mr. Henderson winks. "It’s not about the investment! I haven’t felt this good in years!"