Do you ever wake up, kiss the person sleeping beside you and feel happy that you are alive?

Joke Poo: Bathroom Ban

Do you ever sit on the toilet, glance at the overflowing basket of magazines, and feel relieved that you have something to occupy your time?

I just did, and apparently I’m no longer welcome at my therapist’s office.

Alright, let’s break down this joke and then inject some comedic fertilizer to grow something new.

Joke Dissection:

• Setup: “Do you ever wake up, kiss the person sleeping beside you and feel happy that you are alive?” This sets up a romantic, sentimental scenario. The audience assumes the “person sleeping beside you” is a loved one (partner, spouse, etc.).
• Punchline: “I just did, and apparently I will not be allowed on this airline again…” This flips the script by revealing the context is not a private bedroom, but an airplane. The unexpectedness and inappropriateness of kissing a random stranger are the source of the humor.
• Key Elements:
  • Misdirection: The setup leads to a romantic interpretation, while the punchline reveals a public and inappropriate context.
  • Taboo/Social Awkwardness: Kissing a stranger, especially on a plane, is a breach of social norms and personal space.
  • Exaggeration: The consequence (being banned from the airline) amplifies the awkwardness and adds to the humor.

Comedic Enrichment & New Material:

Now let’s leverage some facts about airlines and sleep/romance to create something new.

Fact-Based Observation (Leading to a potential joke):

• Many modern airplane seats are incredibly close together, practically forcing physical contact between passengers, especially during sleep. This physical proximity can lead to humorous (or horrifying) situations.

New Joke/Witty Observation:

“Airline seats are so close these days, it’s basically mandatory couples therapy whether you know the person next to you or not. I once woke up with a stranger’s head on my shoulder. When I gently shook them awake, they apologized profusely…then asked if I could sign their petition to get airlines to offer pre-flight relationship counseling.”

Alternative Joke (Building on the original):

“I tried that ‘wake up and kiss the person next to you on the plane’ thing. Turns out, air marshals are not receptive to romantic gestures, even if you tell them you’re just expressing gratitude for being alive. Next time, I’m sticking with complimentary peanuts and a polite head nod.”

“Did You Know?” (Humorous angle):

“Did you know that the average plane passenger experiences approximately 17 ‘near misses’ with bodily fluids or stray limbs from neighboring sleepers during a long flight? Experts recommend packing a hazmat suit…or at least a very large pillow.”

Why this works:

• The new material maintains the element of surprise and social awkwardness.
• It incorporates factual elements (close seating, air marshals) to ground the humor in reality, making it relatable (and funnier).
• The “Did You Know?” format provides a humorous spin on a potentially unpleasant aspect of air travel.

In essence, we’ve taken the core elements of the original joke, amplified them using factual context, and created new pieces of humor that resonate with the same comedic sensibilities.