A Mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper, Guido, has cheated him out of $10,000,000.
His bookkeeper is deaf and dumb. That was the reason he got the job in the first place. It was assumed that Guido would hear nothing so he would never have to testify in court.
When the Godfather goes to confront Guido about his missing $10 million, he takes along his lawyer who knows sign language.
The Godfather tells the lawyer, "Ask him where the money is!"
The lawyer, using sign language, asks Guido, "Where's the money?"
Guido signs back, "I don't know what you are talking about."
The lawyer tells the Godfather, "He says he doesn't know what you're talking about."
The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to Guido's head and says, "Ask him again or I'll kill him!"
The lawyer signs to Guido, "He'll kill you if you don't tell him."
Guido trembles and signs, "OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed at my cousin Bruno's house."
The Godfather asks the lawyer, "What did he say?"
The lawyer replies, "He says you don't have the guts to pull the feckin trigger!"
Joke Poo: The Tech Support Ticket
A mega-corporation’s CEO discovers that their outsourced tech support team in Bangalore has been skimming money, charging for ghost services and inflated hardware costs. Their point of contact, Rajesh, is thought to be completely computer illiterate – the reason he got the job. The assumption was that Rajesh wouldn’t understand the complex IT shenanigans going on, so he couldn’t rat them out.
The CEO, seething, brings their head of IT, Sarah, who is fluent in the technical jargon, into a conference call with Rajesh.
The CEO instructs Sarah, “Ask him where the unauthorized funds are being diverted!”
Sarah, using tech terms, types into the chat window, “Rajesh, please clarify the destination IP addresses associated with the anomalous financial transactions.”
Rajesh types back, “I am unable to comprehend the nature of your inquiry. Kindly rephrase using layman’s terms.”
Sarah tells the CEO, “He says he doesn’t understand what I’m talking about.”
The CEO slams their fist on the table and yells, “Ask him again, but tell him I’ll fire his entire team if he doesn’t answer!”
Sarah reluctantly types, “The CEO is threatening immediate termination of your entire outsourcing contract if you fail to provide a clear explanation regarding the fund diversions.”
Rajesh types back, his answer displayed proudly across the screen, “OK! You win! The money is being routed through a series of VPNs to a shell company registered in the Cayman Islands, ultimately landing in a crypto wallet owned by…my mother-in-law!”
The CEO, relieved, asks Sarah, “What did he say?”
Sarah, wide-eyed, replies, “He says the internet is down and he recommends you restart your router.”
Alright, let’s break down this mobster joke and see what comedic seeds we can harvest.
Analysis of the Original Joke:
- Premise: A deaf and mute bookkeeper thought to be “safe” has stolen from the Mafia.
- Setup: The Godfather uses a lawyer who knows sign language to interrogate Guido.
- Punchline: The lawyer deliberately misinterprets Guido’s confession to taunt the Godfather.
- Humor Source: The humor comes from the betrayal of trust (even in a criminal enterprise), the power dynamic shift caused by the lawyer, and the ironic twist of the Godfather being outsmarted by someone he thought was incapable of betrayal. The layered deceit is also key – Guido deceived the Godfather, and now the lawyer deceives the Godfather.
Key Elements:
- Mafia Stereotypes: Power, violence, distrust, intimidation, honor among thieves (or lack thereof).
- Disability Representation: The deaf and mute bookkeeper, initially perceived as vulnerable, becomes a vehicle for both deception and the lawyer’s betrayal.
- Sign Language: Becomes a tool for subversion and misdirection.
- Lawyer’s Treachery: The unexpected betrayal by someone ostensibly “on the Godfather’s side” is the core of the punchline.
Comedic Enrichment:
Now, let’s use these elements to generate a new joke/observation:
Joke Idea:
A lawyer is on his deathbed. His priest, his doctor, and his accountant are standing around him. The lawyer whispers weakly, “I have a confession… I stole millions from my clients.”
The priest says, “It’s okay, my son. Confess to God and He will forgive you.”
The doctor says, “Don’t worry about that now, you need to focus on getting better.”
The accountant whispers, “Shut up, you idiots! Let’s find out where he hid it!”
Explanation of connection to the original joke:
The humor in this joke connects to the original joke in the following ways:
- Lawyer Treachery: Just like in the original joke, the punchline revolves around the lawyer’s role as someone who is inherently untrustworthy, even when it goes against common expectations (like being faithful to the Godfather in the original, or helping in the sickbed).
- Greed and Self-Interest: The accountant, much like the lawyer in the first joke, prioritizes financial gain over morality or loyalty.
- Surprise and Subversion: The punchline is funny because it subverts the expectation that those around a dying person would be focused on spiritual comfort or medical care. Instead, the accountant reveals his true, self-serving motives.
- Relatability: Both jokes are based on real-world archetypes that allow people to understand the punchline.
This new joke takes the concept of professional dishonesty and shifts the focus to a lawyer and his accountant, playing on stereotypes of greed and self-interest while offering a final twist.