Howdy, everyone, I’m Graham Royer-Martinez, and I’m proud to represent the fourth generation of the Royer shipbuilding family. Now I know there’s a lot of uncertainty in the global shipping business these days, and you may be thinking that it’s time to add some made-in-the-USA tonnage to your fleet. Well, we got you, fam. We have three different classes of cargo ship, all built in our Gulf Coast shipyard.
First we have the Baton Rouge-class bulk carrier, named for the town where my great-grandpappy Clyde Royer grew up before leaving to join the navy during WWI. Then we have the Galveston-class container ship, named for the place where my great aunt Kitty, Clyde’s daughter, helped build Liberty ships during WWII with her welding buddy Julie. Finally, we have the Jin Lee-class roll-on/roll-off car carrier, named for my dad’s investment partner from Hong Kong who helped keep us afloat during the oil crisis in the 70s. (Heh, “afloat.” See what I did there?)
If you’re a possible buyer, a maritime engineer looking for a job, or just a parent with a kid who loves boats, you can come take a tour of our shipyard, built in an old canal, with a dry dock for each class of ship. At the top of the canal there’s the dock for the Baton Rouge bulk carrier, then in the middle, the dock for the Galveston container ship, then finally the ro-ro Royer boat, Jin Lee, down the stream.
Joke Poo: Flush with Pride Plumbing, Inc.
And now a word from our sponsor, Flush with Pride Plumbing, Inc.
Howdy, folks, I’m Brenda Plungerstein, and I’m thrilled to represent the fourth generation of the Plungerstein plumbing family. Now, I know there’s a lot of consternation in the municipal sanitation business these days, and you might be thinking it’s time to upgrade your aging infrastructure. Well, we got you, boo. We have three different models of advanced waste-management systems, all manufactured in our upstate New York facility.
First, we have the Niagara Falls-class wastewater treatment plant, named for the town where my great-grandpappy Clem Plungerstein first started unstopping sinks back in the late 1800s. Then we have the Schenectady-class sewage pipe network, named for the place where my great-aunt Clara, Clem’s daughter, helped lay miles of pipe during the Great Depression alongside her trenching buddy, Bertha. Finally, we have the Abdul Hassan-class composting toilet, named for my dad’s business partner from Dubai who helped us go green during the environmental movement of the 90s. (Heh, “go green.” See what I did there?)
If you’re a prospective city planner, a sanitation engineer looking for a job, or just a parent with a kid who’s fascinated by poop, you can come take a tour of our facility, built along an old ravine, with a dedicated disposal site for each type of system. At the top of the ravine is the intake for the Niagara Falls plant, then in the middle, the pipe network for the Schenectady system, then finally, flowing downhill, the composting station for the Abdul Hassan toilets.
Okay, let’s analyze this comedic bit and then whip up some related humor.
Joke Dissection:
- Premise: A “word from our sponsor” introduces a shipbuilding company, Royer & Associates. The humor stems from the down-to-earth, family-history-infused, and slightly self-deprecating tone of the company representative, Graham Royer-Martinez.
- Key Elements:
- Family History: The names of the ships are tied to specific family members and their life events, creating an endearing (and slightly odd) personal connection.
- Real-World Relevance: Mentions uncertainty in the global shipping business and the desire for “made-in-the-USA” tonnage. Grounding the humor in reality.
- Pun: The “afloat” joke.
- Specificity: Details like the Gulf Coast shipyard location and the types of ships built.
- Structure/Organization: The description of the shipyard layout mirroring the class of ship dock location within it.
Humor Enrichment:
Let’s build a new joke, playing on the elements above.
New Joke:
Graham Royer-Martinez was having a whale of a time (I’ll see myself out) at the annual Maritime Industry Convention. Everyone was thrilled with the new line of Royer & Associates ships and asked how the new tanker being added was being named. With a chuckle, Graham explained, “Well, we’re thinking of naming it the ‘Aunt Mildred’ after my great aunt who single-handedly sunk a German U-boat by accidentally ramming into it with her fishing boat during WWII. She was trying to catch a particularly stubborn tuna.” Someone in the crowd asked what kind of boat was she using. Graham replied, “Oh, she used the ‘Stubborn Tuna’ named after her husband’s inability to make a decision.”
Explanation of the humor:
- Continuation of the original: Uses the same structure of naming the ship after a family member with an amusing backstory.
- Exaggeration: Exaggerates the family history to a ridiculous degree (accidentally sinking a U-boat).
- Pun: The setup “whale of a time”
- Surprise/Irony: The seemingly heroic act is revealed to be an accident.
- Subversion: The audience is left hanging on what boat Aunt Mildred was on, to only be told a story about her husband.
This new piece aims to amplify the initial comedic elements by adding absurdity and playing with expectations.