Every day, he comes back to the newspaper stand, buys a copy of the Times, looks over the front page, gets disappointed, and then throws the paper away without opening it.
This goes on for a few weeks, and finally the man running the stand asks him, "Why do you keep buying a paper and not reading it?"
He replies, "I'm just looking for an obituary."
"But there aren't any obituaries on the front page."
"This one will be."
Joke Poo: The Compost Critique
A woman walks into a high-end organic gardening center, buys a bag of “Super Bloom Compost,” sniffs it delicately, then tosses it into the trash with a look of utter disgust.
Every week, she returns, purchases the same bag, repeats the sniffing ritual, and throws it away.
After a month, the exasperated store owner approaches her. “Madam,” he says, “why do you repeatedly buy our most expensive compost only to discard it? Is something wrong?”
She replies, “I’m searching for a specific ingredient.”
“But we list all ingredients on the bag! Perhaps you need something more potent?”
“No,” she says with a mischievous glint in her eye, “I’m waiting for the smell of success.”
Alright, let’s analyze this joke!
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: A man repeatedly buys the NY Times, scans the front page, and throws it away in disgust. This establishes a repetitive and puzzling behavior.
- Premise: The news vendor inquires about the man’s strange habit, creating anticipation for a resolution.
- Punchline: The man reveals he’s looking for his own obituary, which he expects will eventually be on the front page.
- Humor Mechanism: The humor relies on:
- Subversion of Expectations: We expect him to be looking for news, not planning his own demise (and the ego to think it’ll be front-page news!).
- Dark Humor: The joke touches on mortality and a somewhat morbid sense of self-importance.
- Irony: The man’s actions are directly contributing to the event he’s looking for (by potentially triggering it through frustration or planning something that puts himself in that place.)
Key Elements:
- The New York Times: A symbol of established news, and a potentially biased point of view.
- Obituary: Represents death, legacy, and the final word (in a sense) on a person’s life.
- Front Page: Symbolizes importance, public recognition, and notoriety.
- Impatience/Anticipation: The man’s daily routine highlights his eagerness for this specific event to happen.
Humorous Enrichment & Creative Spin-Offs:
1. Witty Observation:
The New York Times: Proof that some people will literally buy anything to see their name in print, even if it’s attached to the word “deceased.”
2. “Did You Know?” Enhancement:
Did you know that The New York Times actually has a dedicated “Obituaries” desk with multiple full-time writers? They prepare profiles of prominent figures before they die, just in case. It’s basically journalism’s version of planning a surprise party, only the guest of honor never shows up…or rather, they do, but they’re not exactly celebrating. Kind of makes you wonder if they’re ever tempted to, you know, “encourage” the news cycle a little bit… Just like our man in the joke!
3. New Joke:
A woman walks into a bookstore and asks for a copy of “How to Write Your Own Obituary.” The bookseller replies, “That’s an odd request. Why do you need that?” She smiles and says, “Oh, I’m writing it for my cat. He’s convinced he deserves a Pulitzer for all the naps he’s taken.”
*Explanation: This joke plays on the idea of crafting a legacy and the inherent absurdity of attributing human-like aspirations to animals.*4. Ironic Parallel:
You know, buying a newspaper every day hoping to see your obituary is almost as optimistic as checking your spam folder hoping to win the lottery.
5. Comedic Twist on the Original:
The man goes back to the newsstand every day for weeks, throws the paper away, same routine. The vendor asks, “What obituary are you waiting for?”
The man replies, “The one that says I finally managed to find affordable housing in Manhattan.”