They pull over and jump out to see they’ve hit a badger, both being animal lovers there distraught, they get closer and notice the badger still seems to be alive so they put it on the back seat and drive towards the closest emergency vet.
The lady looks in the back and says to her husband “ it looks freezing! “
Husband “ why don’t you put it between your legs on your lap and keep it warm “
Wife “ ew but it’s all wet, smelly and hairy ! “
Husband “ Well you better hold the badgers nose then! “ .
Joke Poo: The Astronaut’s Log
Two astronauts are on a long-duration mission to Mars when they hear a loud CLANG against the hull.
They suit up and go outside to investigate. They find a small, bewildered Martian…with a flat tire on his space tricycle. Being the only mechanics for light years, they cautiously pick up the Martian and his trike and bring them inside.
The female astronaut looks at the Martian in the observation deck and says to her partner, “He looks so cold! All alone out there!”
The male astronaut replies, “Why don’t you put him in your underwear to warm him up?”
The female astronaut scoffs, “Ew, but he’s covered in red dust, smells like sulfur, and has spiky antennae!”
The male astronaut sighs, “Well, you better hold the Martian’s antennae then!”
Alright, let’s analyze this badger of a joke!
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: A couple accidentally hits a badger, feel empathy, and try to help it.
- Premise: The husband suggests the wife keep the badger warm by holding it on her lap.
- Punchline: The wife objects to the badger’s unpleasant qualities, and the husband delivers the comedic redirection with the line about holding the badger’s nose.
- Humor Source: The humor derives from the unexpected punchline’s double entendre, and implied action. The listener believes the problem is the animal is smelly and uncomfortable, not the obvious implication.
Key Elements:
- Badger: The central element of the joke, an animal known for being smelly, and nocturnal.
- Couple: A relatable, and relatable stereotype (i.e. a couple having an uncomfortable conversation).
- Misdirection: The setup makes the audience believe the joke is about animal welfare and awkwardness, before it becomes something far less noble.
Comedic Enrichment:
Option 1: A New Joke
A badger walks into a bar and orders a pint of lager. The bartender raises an eyebrow and says, “We don’t get many badgers in here. What brings you to town?” The badger sighs, “Well, my wife’s been nagging me, saying I need to get out more. She keeps saying, ‘Honey, you’re always just sitting around. You need to branch out! Go to a bar! Meet new people! Just don’t come home smelling like skunk!'”
Option 2: Witty Observation (and related “Did You Know”)
You know, the real tragedy in that badger joke is that the husband probably thought he was being clever. That’s the thing about badgers, they’re so low to the ground that they often fail to understand social cues.
Did you know: Badgers, due to their burrowing habits, are actually considered “ecosystem engineers”? They create habitats for other animals, but, ironically, their sense of humor is still under construction.
Option 3: A More Absurdist Route
If that couple had hit a honey badger instead, the punchline would have been completely different. The wife would have just been like, “Honey, it’s eating the upholstery! And it just gave me the middle claw!” And the husband would be like, “Well, just be glad it’s not holding a cobra! Those things are a nightmare to get out of the car.”
Why these work:
- Option 1: Plays on the badger’s reputation for being somewhat uncouth, and uses the wife to heighten the tension.
- Option 2: Introduces a “Did You Know?” fact to add an educational element to the humor. The absurdity of comparing a badger to “ecosystem engineers” juxtaposes the highbrow fact with the lowbrow humor of the original joke.
- Option 3: The absurdist route builds on the original joke’s weirdness by escalating the situation with the introduction of a honey badger, known for its fearlessness and aggression, and a Cobra to bring the joke to the edge of reality.
Hopefully, these are a more lighthearted, more absurd, and enriching addition to the original joke!