Joke Poo

Did you hear about the new help group for over-talkers?

Posted on by Joke Poo

It's called 'On And On Anon'

Joke Poo: Did you hear about the new support group for people obsessed with perfectly clean kitchens?

It’s called “Spotless Anonymous, and it’s surprisingly…spotless.”

Alright, let’s break down this joke!

Joke Deconstruction:

  • Premise: It’s about a support group for people who talk too much.
  • Punchline: The name of the support group is a play on “Alcoholics Anonymous” using the phrase “on and on” to represent incessant talking.
  • Humor Type: Pun/Wordplay. It relies on the audience recognizing the reference and the double meaning.
  • Target Audience: People familiar with 12-step programs and the phrase “on and on.”

Key Elements:

  1. Support Groups (specifically, 12-step programs): These programs are known for anonymity and structured sharing.
  2. Over-talking: The characteristic being addressed. Implies a lack of self-awareness or control in conversation.
  3. “Alcoholics Anonymous”: A well-known organization and phrase.
  4. “On And On”: A phrase that suggests rambling, continuous speech.

Comedic Enrichment & New Humor Generation:

Okay, now let’s use this to create some related humor.

Option 1: “Did You Know?” Factoid & Related Joke

  • Factoid: Did you know the first 12-step program wasn’t for alcoholism? It was the Oxford Group, founded in the early 20th century, which addressed a broader range of spiritual and personal problems. Alcoholics Anonymous was directly inspired by their principles.

  • Joke: Did you hear about the new help group for people who under-listen? It’s called “The Oxford Silent Group.” Their meetings are excruciatingly efficient.

Why it works: This factoid provides a humorous twist on the origin of these groups, highlighting that over-talking has probably ALWAYS been an issue. The joke then subverts expectations by focusing on the opposite problem – and suggesting the meetings, therefore, move fast, which clashes with all experience of support groups.

Option 2: Observational Humor

“It’s funny, ‘On And On Anon’ sounds like it would be a terrible support group. Imagine trying to share your problem when everyone else is just trying to talk over you. They’d probably need a separate group just to deal with the unresolved issues from the first group… which, naturally, would also have the same problem.”

Why it works: This leans into the inherent absurdity of the premise, imagining the chaos and ineffectiveness of a support group specifically designed for people who are bad at listening.

Option 3: Alt-Punchline

  • “Did you hear about the new help group for over-talkers?”

  • Alt-Punchline: “…It’s called ‘Please Let Me Finish.'” (followed by awkward silence)

Why it works: The silence at the end contrasts sharply with the assumed characteristic of an over-talker.