The teacher said: “Now that we’re all grown up, we aren’t going to use baby talk any more. Instead we’re going to use grown-up words. Now who would like to start by telling us about what they did in summer vacation?”
A little girl called Jenny put up her hand and said: “This summer vacation I rode a choo-choo.”
“No, Jenny,” interrupted the teacher. “We don’t say ‘choo-choo’ any more. We say ‘train’. Remember to use grown-up words.
Now, who’s next?”
Little Johnny raised his hand. “This summer vacation I went to Disneyland and saw Winnie the Shit.”
Joke Poo: The Internship
A group of eager interns were starting their first day at a prestigious law firm.
The senior partner said: "Now that you’re all here, we’re not going to use intern jargon anymore. We’re going to use proper legal terminology. Who wants to start by telling us about their summer experience?"
A bright-eyed intern named Sarah raised her hand and said: "This summer, I drafted a memo about due dillies."
"No, Sarah," the senior partner interrupted. "We don’t say ‘due dillies’ anymore. We say ‘due diligence’. Remember to use proper legal terms."
"Now, who’s next?"
Another intern named Mark raised his hand. "This summer, I worked on a big case and got to cross-examine a real piece of schist."
Alright, let’s break down this joke and then inject some comedic enrichment.
Joke Dissection:
- Premise: A teacher attempts to impose "grown-up" language on a class of first-graders after summer vacation.
- Setup: Jenny’s innocent use of "choo-choo" is corrected with "train," highlighting the absurdity of forcing adult vocabulary on young children.
- Punchline: Little Johnny’s unexpected and vulgar twist on Winnie the Pooh ("Winnie the Shit") delivers the humor. It relies on:
- Juxtaposition: The contrast between the teacher’s intended refinement and Johnny’s crude language is funny.
- Subversion: We expect Johnny to use a proper word, but he escalates the childishness into something inappropriate.
- Misinterpretation/Misproununciation: It’s implied Johnny heard "Winnie the Pooh" and innocently (or perhaps not so innocently) misinterpreted it.
Key Elements:
- First Grade: The innocence and developmental stage of children.
- "Grown-Up" Language: The artificial imposition of adult vocabulary.
- Train/Choo-Choo: A symbol of childhood, replaced by a "proper" term.
- Winnie the Pooh: A beloved children’s character, turned vulgar.
- Misunderstanding: The core of Johnny’s mispronunciation.
Comedic Enrichment:
Let’s focus on the "Winnie the Pooh" element.
Did you know?
A.A. Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh, actually named Winnie after a real bear! He saw a black bear named Winnipeg at the London Zoo. Winnipeg was a Canadian black bear and was a mascot for The Fort Garry Horse, a Canadian cavalry regiment in World War I.
-
Amusing Observation/New Joke Idea:
The humor in the joke comes from the shock of something wholesome turned crude.
What if we used a similar dynamic, but with a touch of history:
Teacher: "Now, class, tell me about your summer."
Little Susie: "I learned about The Alamo!"
Teacher: "Wonderful! Can you tell the class about it?"
Little Susie: "It’s where Davy Crockett made his last stand after eating a full of pot roast."
Teacher: "Well, yes. But what does that have to do with anything"
Little Susie: "After eating, he sharted"