At the end of class, the professor tells him that there is little more that he could teach him, and that he ought to explore the world.
So, the prodigy first goes to Japan to explore brand new instruments. After traveling around the country for a few weeks, he settles into going back and forth between Kyoto and Tokyo. Soon enough, he has mastered enough to be considered a master at timing in both kabuk plays as well as fast-paced anime music. His friends in the Japanese music scene tell him that there's nothing else they could possibly teach him, and that he ought to continue his journey.
The prodigy's next stop is India. He travels around the sub-continent for a few weeks before stopping in Mumbai. News of his travel has already reached some of the biggest studios there, and in short order he is being taught by the best Bollywood writers in the business. Soon, he has written and preformed several hit songs and even participated in helping design some choreography for a couple. As much as his mentors in show-biz want him to stay, they admit that there is little left to learn and that if he wants to expand his horizons further, he must go somewhere else.
Thus, the prodigy tries to shake things up. He boards a flight to the remote Northern parts of Finland. After spending several days up there, he moves down to Helsinki to learn from artists there. Not too long after, the prodigy has mastered both traditional yoiking of the Sami people as well as creating perfect Finnish folk metal riffs. He progresses so quickly that his metal head friends say that they would never have guessed he was anything but a native. They suggest that if he still wants to learn more, he'll have to keep traveling.
This same story goes on for years: no matter where he goes, the prodigy wows locals with his ability to master local music. He travels back to Asia, then around Africa, and then up and down Latin America.
Yet even as his fame grew, he always had a small itch that he couldn't scratch. So, after mastering the newest instruments that he been recently introduced to, he booked tickets back home. Once he gets back, he looks through his old notes again and tries to play through the original classics. Much to his frustration, he finds keeps finding things that bother him and take him out of concentrating. His timing is off, his piano is out of tune, etcetera. The biggest problem he finds is that no matter how he sits (even after buying several different chairs and stools) or stands, he has annoying aches and pains that totally distract him.
Several months go by, and the prodigy has made absolutely no progress. After reminiscing about his professors' class, he decides to seek advice from his favorite mentor. Driving to his now retired instructors' home, he sits down and has some tea with the old man and regales him with stories of traveling the world. During a lull in the conversation, the prodigy tells his mentor about the recent problems that he's been having. The professor gives him a warm smile and a last piece of advice.
"My boy, I know just what your problem is!"
"Please tell me, professor!" The prodigy pleads.
"Don't worry yourself too much. Sooner or later everyone suffers from Bach problems."
Joke Poo: The Culinary Critic
A food critic prodigy finally finishes his apprenticeship with his renowned mentor. At the end of their time together, the master critic tells him there’s little more he can teach him, and that the young critic should explore the world of cuisine.
So, the prodigy first goes to Japan to explore regional delicacies. After traveling around the country for a few weeks, he dedicates his time to going back and forth between Kyoto and Tokyo. Soon enough, he has mastered enough to be considered an expert at discerning the subtle nuances in both traditional Kaiseki meals as well as expertly crafted ramen. His friends in the Japanese culinary scene tell him that there’s nothing else they could possibly teach him, and that he ought to continue his journey.
The prodigy’s next stop is India. He travels around the sub-continent for a few weeks before stopping in Mumbai. News of his travel has already reached some of the biggest restaurants there, and in short order he is being taught by the best chefs in the business. Soon, he has mastered the art of balancing spices, crafting perfect curries, and even judging street food with the discerning eye of a local. As much as his mentors in show-biz want him to stay, they admit that there is little left to learn and that if he wants to expand his horizons further, he must go somewhere else.
Thus, the prodigy tries to shake things up. He boards a flight to the remote Northern parts of Finland. After spending several days foraging there, he moves down to Helsinki to learn from local cooks. Not too long after, the prodigy has mastered both traditional smoked reindeer dishes as well as creating innovative Nordic fusion cuisine. He progresses so quickly that his local friends say that they would never have guessed he was anything but a native. They suggest that if he still wants to learn more, he’ll have to keep traveling.
This same story goes on for years: no matter where he goes, the prodigy wows locals with his ability to master local food. He travels back to Asia, then around Africa, and then up and down Latin America.
Yet even as his fame grew, he always had a small itch that he couldn’t scratch. So, after sampling the newest exotic ingredients that he been recently introduced to, he booked tickets back home. Once he gets back, he looks through his old notebooks and tries to analyze the classic dishes that made him love food in the first place. Much to his frustration, he finds keeps finding things that bother him and take him out of the experience. The textures are off, the sauces are bland, etcetera. The biggest problem he finds is that no matter how hard he chews (even after buying several different sets of dentures and teeth sharpeners) or tastes, he has annoying stomach aches that totally distract him.
Several months go by, and the prodigy has made absolutely no progress. After reminiscing about his mentor’s training, he decides to seek advice from his favorite teacher. Driving to his now retired instructor’s home, he sits down and has some tea with the old man and regales him with stories of traveling the world. During a lull in the conversation, the prodigy tells his mentor about the recent problems that he’s been having. The professor gives him a warm smile and a last piece of advice.
“My boy, I know just what your problem is!”
“Please tell me, professor!” The prodigy pleads.
“Don’t worry yourself too much. Sooner or later everyone suffers from food poisoning.”
Okay, let’s dissect this joke and then remix it into some fresh comedic fodder.
Joke Dissection:
- Core Concept: A musical prodigy travels the world, mastering various musical styles, only to return home and struggle with the classical music he started with. The punchline relies on a pun: “Bach problems” (as in, aches and pains) being confused for Johann Sebastian Bach.
- Setup: The setup is lengthy and detailed, establishing the prodigy’s exceptional talent and global travels. This is crucial for the payoff, highlighting the irony of his eventual failure.
- Punchline: The pun is the core of the joke. It’s a simple wordplay that hinges on the listener recognizing both the composer and the common phrase “back problems.”
- Humor Source: The humor stems from the unexpected. The prodigy’s incredible musical journey is rendered somewhat absurd by the mundane problem of back pain interfering with his original passion. The irony and the pun are the main drivers of laughter.
Analysis:
- The joke’s strength lies in the detailed setup that contrasts with the simple, pun-based punchline.
- The weakness could be its length. It requires patience from the listener/reader.
- The humor is fairly gentle and relies on recognition and a little bit of intellectual connection (knowing who Bach is and the phrase “back problems”).
Comedic Enrichment:
Let’s use some interesting facts about Bach, music prodigies, or back problems to create a new bit of humor:
Option 1: The “Did You Know?” Remix (Self-Deprecating Musician Edition):
“Did you know that Johann Sebastian Bach had twenty children? I guess you could say he had a lot of little counterpoints running around. But seriously, after carrying all those scores around for centuries, it’s no wonder I’m suffering from Bach problems… and that’s before I even try to compose anything!”
(Reasoning: This uses the “Did you know?” format for a quick setup, and then blends factual information with a self-deprecating punchline relating to the original joke’s pun.)
Option 2: The “The prodigy” Meta-Commentary:
“This music prodigy, right? Travels the world, learns everything. It’s like the writer had a serious case of ‘Wikipedia binge-writing syndrome.’ But the joke wouldn’t work if he was an expert in music theory only. If you’re sitting in the hall where music students were taught, then there isn’t a good reason to do any more Bach. To get more experience, consider travelling through Asia and Africa to become a true prodigy. It needs the buildup of these exotic locales, to then lead into the payoff of the ‘Bach problems’ pun. The setup is the real melody of this joke”
(Reasoning: This is a meta-joke. It is self-aware of the fact that the humor relies on the setting. In addition, this humor is used to make the initial joke make more sense.)
Option 3: The Anti-Joke Variation:
“A music prodigy travels the world, masters every instrument, learns every style, comes back home, and realizes… he just doesn’t like classical music anymore. He gets a job at a bank. The end.”
(Reasoning: This subverts expectations by completely avoiding the pun. It’s anti-humor based on the anticlimactic resolution. This is usually paired with a statement of disbelief/annoyance or any sort of other reaction that it deserves.)