He came. He saw. He conquered.
Okay, here’s my “Joke Poo” riff on the original:
Joke Poo: The Plumber’s Lament
A sewer worker, a chef known for soufflés, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa walk into a bar.
…The bartender sighs and says, “Oh great, another collapse waiting to happen.”
Alright, let’s dissect this joke.
Elements Breakdown:
- Setup: “A sperm donor, a carpenter and Julius Caesar walk into a bar…” – This sets up a classic joke structure: an unlikely trio entering a familiar setting, implying a punchline is coming. The occupations are somewhat arbitrary but hinting at specific talents/actions (creation, craftmanship, war).
- Punchline: “He came. He saw. He conquered.” – This is a play on Caesar’s famous quote “Veni, Vidi, Vici.” The humour derives from the double entendre. “Came” referring to Caesar’s sexual prowess, the sperm donor’s business, and the verb ‘to come’ as in to arrive. Thus playing against the expectation set up by the professions in the initial setup.
Humor Mechanisms:
- Wordplay/Pun: The core of the joke relies on the pun of “came” referring to both arrival and orgasm.
- Juxtaposition/Incongruity: The punchline links Caesar’s historical accomplishment to a crude, sexual act, creating a humorous clash.
- Double Entendre: The ambiguity of “came” allows for multiple interpretations, increasing the comedic effect.
Enrichment & New Humor Creation:
Here are a few ideas leveraging related facts and building on the existing joke:
1. The Extended Analogy Joke:
A sperm donor, a carpenter, and Julius Caesar are sitting at a bar, discussing their greatest achievements. The sperm donor says, “Well, I created life from nothing!” The carpenter boasts, “I can shape raw materials into functional and beautiful things!” Caesar, after taking a long sip of his drink, says, “That’s all well and good, but I restructured an entire society…and apparently inspired a pizza topping. Pepperoni, they say it’s a corruption of peperoni.”
- Rationale: This builds on the original by giving each character a chance to boast, culminating in a self-deprecating and anachronistic joke from Caesar. The pizza topping references how Caesar’s legacy continued far longer after he was gone, even in mundane ways. It uses the idea of the three people boasting again.
2. Witty Observation/Did You Know:
Did you know Julius Caesar actually struggled with epilepsy? So that famous quote? More like, “He came. He saw. He…briefly lost consciousness before conquering.” Maybe he needs to be careful about what he’s boasting about in bars then…
- Rationale: This adds a layer of dark humor by highlighting Caesar’s medical condition and contrasting it with his image of strength and control. It uses the existing “He came…” to introduce a ‘fun fact’ that undermines the original grandeur.
3. The “Behind the Scenes” Joke:
What did Mark Antony whisper to Caesar after he declared “Veni, Vidi, Vici?”
“Brilliant! But next time, maybe phrase it differently when we’re pitching to the sperm donor market.”
- Rationale: This turns the punchline into a marketing strategy gone wrong. It acknowledges the original joke’s double meaning in a meta-humorous way.
4. The “Historical Inaccuracy” Joke:
A sperm donor, a carpenter and Julius Caesar walk into a bar. The bartender asks, “Hey Caesar, what’ll it be?” Caesar replies, “Veni, Vidi, Martini!” The sperm donor turns to the carpenter and says “That’s odd, I didn’t know he was Italian, plus I thought his name was pronounced ‘See-zer'”
- Rationale: This takes the joke in a completely new direction, by calling on the differences between Italian and Latin pronunciations, referencing his nationality, and twisting it into a completely new pun.
Hopefully, these enrichments add a new layer of amusement to your day.