He gets sent to Cape Town, where the trains keep getting stuck in the yards.
Thinking quick, he sticks two locomotives at the back to push them. Surprisingly, this works!
In America, trains are getting stuck too. So they fly him in and take him to a train that's stuck in the yard.
The foreman says they've tried everything, including having a team of over a hundred people push it, and now they're out of ideas.
So he assesses the situation and says: "Well, it's gonna take a lot, we need a train or two. No offense, but there's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do"
"How do you know?" asks the foreman.
And he says, "I test the trains down in Africa."
Joke Poo: The Architect’s Approval
After the famous architect, I.M. Pei, retired, he decided to indulge his passion for competitive pigeon racing.
He gets sent to Dubai, where the pigeons keep getting disoriented and lost.
Thinking quick, he attaches tiny, lightweight GPS trackers to each pigeon. Surprisingly, this works!
In London, pigeons are getting lost too. So they fly him in and take him to the most prestigious pigeon loft in the city.
The loft manager says they’ve tried everything, including hiring a team of ornithologists and training the birds with every navigational technique imaginable, and now they’re out of ideas.
So he assesses the situation and says: “Well, it’s going to take more than instinct; we need geometry, data, and precision. No offense, but there’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do.”
“How do you know?” asks the loft manager.
And he says, “I design skylines down in the Middle East.”
Alright, let’s dissect this joke!
Core Elements:
- Premise: The joke hinges on the ironic juxtaposition of the band Toto (famous for the song “Africa”) and a frontman who, post-band, maintains trains in Africa.
- Setup: The humor builds by establishing a problem (trains getting stuck) and a seemingly simple solution (using pushing locomotives). This solution is then presented as a universal one, leading to the frontman’s expertise being sought in America.
- Punchline: The punchline is delivered with a double meaning, referencing both the band Toto’s song lyrics (specifically, “I bless the rains down in Africa”) and the real-world expertise he has. It subverts expectations by playing on the song’s lyrics but applies it to his train expertise. The “test the trains” part is a clever reinterpretation.
- Humor Type: The humor is a blend of ironic situation, wordplay, and a slightly absurdist premise.
Factual/Interesting Tidbits to Leverage:
- Toto and Africa: The song “Africa” is notorious for its inaccurate and romanticized depiction of the continent. It’s become a meme and a cultural touchstone.
- Steam Locomotive Power: The pushing of trains, especially with steam locomotives, was a common practice in rail yards.
- Toto’s enduring popularity: Despite being released in 1982, “Africa” has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years.
New Humor Creation:
Type: Witty Observation
Observation:
The joke perfectly captures the absurdity of taking lyrics literally. I mean, imagine if Phil Collins became an expert in Sussudio-related architecture, building structures that “cut through like a knife!” Or maybe The Police were hired to paint everything “Roxanne” red. You would need to put on your red light to protect yourself. Suddenly, “Toto testing the trains down in Africa” seems almost plausible.
New Joke:
Why did Toto’s frontman struggle with his new job as a train conductor?
Because every time a train got delayed, he’d just yell, “I bless the delays down in Africa!” and expect the passengers to start singing along.
New Joke:
After Toto split up, one band member got a job managing the logistics of a train company.
His manager was impressed: “How are you moving these trains so fast?”
The former band member replies, “It’s simple. I test the trains down in Africa!”
The manager says, “That’s ridiculous! ‘Africa’ isn’t even geographically accurate!”
The band member replies, “Well, it still got me a Grammy.”