The man tells the salmon, “You know, we humans have taken a liking to you, and we’re going to name a new color after you.”
The salmon says, “Oh, that’s great! It’s going to be silvery-blue, like my beautiful scales, right?”
Okay, here’s my attempt at a “Joke Poo” version of the salmon joke:
Joke Poo: The Compost Proposal
Two earthworms, Esmeralda and Bartholomew, were deep in the soil, discussing their future.
Bartholomew confessed to Esmeralda, “Darling, the council of worms has been observing our successful composting partnership, and they’ve decided to honor you. They are naming a new type of enriched soil after you.”
Esmeralda wiggled excitedly, “Oh, Bartholomew, that’s marvelous! It will be dark, rich, and loamy, perfect for growing prize-winning tomatoes, won’t it?”
Bartholomew replied, looking slightly uncomfortable, “Well, actually, they’re calling it ‘Esmeralda’s Digest’. It will be a kind of sludge used for the most stubborn, hard to break down scraps.”
Okay, let’s break down this joke:
Core Elements:
- Premise: Anthropomorphism (giving human-like qualities to an animal – the salmon can talk). An unexpected conversation between a man and a salmon.
- Set-up: Man’s declaration about a new color being named after the salmon. Implied human dominance and control over naming things.
- Punchline: The salmon’s naive assumption about the color being based on its natural beauty, contrasted with the implied, and unstated, true origin of the color: the flesh of the salmon.
- Humor Type: Irony, situational humor, a touch of dark humor (because it implies the salmon is about to be eaten). The humor relies on the audience understanding the color “salmon” refers to the meat and not the living fish.
Relevant Factual Tidbits & Observations:
- Salmon Color: The color of salmon flesh varies significantly depending on the salmon’s diet. Specifically, astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment found in krill and other crustaceans, gives salmon its pink to red color. Farmed salmon often have astaxanthin added to their feed to achieve the desired hue.
- Color Naming: The naming of colors is often arbitrary and culturally influenced. Some colors lack universally accepted names, and the perception of color can vary between individuals.
- Anthropomorphism in Humor: Anthropomorphizing animals is a common comedic device because it highlights the absurdity of human behavior and perspectives when applied to other species.
- Salmon Cognition: Salmon possess surprising cognitive abilities, including navigating thousands of miles back to their birthplace to spawn. This makes their “naive” assumption in the joke more ironic, as they are actually quite intelligent creatures.
New Piece of Humor (Witty Observation/Joke):
Option 1: A More Self-Aware Salmon:
A man tells a salmon, “You know, we’re thinking of naming a new color after you.”
The salmon sighs, flipping its tail. “Oh great. Another shade of orange-pink designed to perfectly complement a cream cheese bagel. Because, you know, nobody actually sees us swimming upstream anymore.”
Option 2: Did You Know…?
Did you know the color “salmon” is a cruel joke played on a fish by a species obsessed with brunch? Salmon get this naturally occuring pigment from what they eat, and humans get that pigment by feeding it to salmon. It’s kind of like saying, “We love you so much, we’re going to make you the color of the thing we feed you so we can sell your flesh easier. Aren’t we thoughtful?”
Option 3: Meta-Commentary on the Original Joke:
Why did the salmon not understand the implications of the color being named after it? Maybe he was too busy trying to get up stream to procreate. So next time you’re about to tell that joke, keep in mind, it’s not funny, its nature.
Explanation of choices:
- Option 1 plays on the salmon’s potential frustration with human exploitation and the limited perception of its existence outside of food consumption.
- Option 2 frames the color naming as a marketing strategy, highlighting the disconnect between appreciation and exploitation.
- Option 3 uses the joke’s elements to examine the reality of nature.
Each of these attempts to build upon the original joke’s premise and add a layer of either factual information, a more cynical perspective, or a meta-commentary about the dark humor inherent in the situation.