All had become successful and rich in the intervening forty years, and were having dinner in a very expensive restaurant when one of them received a call on his mobile. He excused himself to answer it, and in the meantime the other three started discussing their sons' respective careers.
"My son is an engineer," said the first. "He works for one of the big motoring corporations, and has worked on a number of well known sports car designs. In fact, he has earned so much that he bought his girlfriend one of only fifty limited edition supercars and gave it to her as a Christmas present."
"Really? Well, my son is an architect," said the second businessman. "He's designed many large and distinctive buildings, and has become quite rich as a result. In fact he's so rich he designed and built a mansion just for his girlfriend. She only moved in last month."
"That's nothing!" said the third. "My son designs yachts and owns a yacht construction company. They are very, very expensive and counts celebrities, Middle Eastern royalty and Russian oligarchs among his customers. He is so rich he gave his girlfriend one of these yachts last summer."
They were all congratulating each other on their sons' successes when the fourth friend came back from dealing with his phone call. "And what about your son?" he was asked. "We were all comparing notes on how well ours have done. Has yours been successful?"
"Well," he said. "It depends how you define successful. He had gender reassignment surgery at 21 and has been a beautiful young woman for the last six years."
That stunned the others into silence, tinged with distaste and not a little disgust as their prejudices rose to the surface.
"But," continued the fourth man. "She's done quite well really. Why, in the last year alone she's been presented with a supercar, a yacht and a mansion."
Okay, here’s a “Joke Poo” version of the reunion joke, playing on the same surprise ending structure:
Joke Poo: The Gardening Club Showdown
Four elderly gardeners, the champions of their local horticultural societies, met at the annual National Flower Show. They hadn’t seen each other since they all competed in the regional finals a decade ago. As they sipped weak tea and admired prize-winning petunias, one pulled out his phone and stepped away, leaving the other three to reminisce about their grandkids.
“My grandson, Arthur, is a brilliant geneticist,” boasted the first. “He’s working with tomatoes, creating these amazing varieties that are so disease-resistant, they practically grow themselves! He even bred one that tastes like chocolate! To show his appreciation, he named a beautiful, ruby-red strain after his girlfriend – ‘The Rosie Ruby’.”
“Oh, that’s lovely,” the second gardener replied. “Well, my granddaughter, Beatrice, is a top soil scientist. She’s revolutionized composting with a new bacterial blend that turns anything to rich, black humus in just a week. She’s so dedicated, she’s developed a special potting mix and named it after her boyfriend – ‘The Kevin Compost’.”
“Impressive,” said the third gardener. “My grandson, Charles, has become a world-renowned botanist. He is an authority on orchids. He recently identified a new species of exotic orchid and named it after his partner – ‘The Davina Dendrobium’.”
Just then, the fourth gardener returned, phone in hand. “And what about your grandson, Harry?” they asked. “What’s he up to?”
“Well,” the fourth gardener said, pausing thoughtfully, “Harry had a bit of a…transformation a few years ago. He decided he wanted to be a prize-winning rose bush.”
Silence descended. The other three exchanged awkward glances.
“Yes, well,” the fourth gardener continued, beaming. “And I must say, he’s doing rather well! He’s already won ‘Best in Show’ three times: Arthur, Kevin, and Davina all named him after their girl/boyfriends!”
Key changes and comedic approach:
- Characters: Businessmen replaced with competitive gardeners.
- “Success” is redefined: Instead of financial success, the grandsons’ achievements are in gardening/biological fields.
- The “Gift”: The lavish gifts are replaced with the naming of plants/soils after the partners of the successful grandchildren.
- The Twist: Instead of gender reassignment, it’s a person (the fourth gardener’s grandson) identifying as a rose bush.
- Punchline Rework: The last line delivers the punchline by revealing the previous stories were about the very rose bush.
- Similar Structure: The joke maintains the same setup, escalation, and surprise ending.
The humor comes from the absurdity of someone becoming a rose bush, the unexpected connection to the previous stories, and a gentle poke at the (in this case, gardening) obsessions of the characters.
Okay, let’s dissect this joke.
Key Elements:
- Premise: Four successful businessmen brag about their sons’ accomplishments and extravagant gifts to their girlfriends.
- Setup: Each businessman one-ups the previous one, escalating the scale of wealth and generosity. We anticipate a grand finale.
- Twist/Punchline: The fourth businessman initially presents his child’s success in an unexpected, seemingly disappointing way (gender reassignment). The unexpected twist is that the “daughter” is the recipient of all the extravagant gifts the others were bragging about.
- Humor: The humor comes from subverting expectations, societal prejudices (the initial “distaste and disgust”), and the ironic realization that the seemingly “unsuccessful” child is actually incredibly successful, and the ultimate winner in the bragging contest.
New Humorous Content:
Let’s focus on the “supercar, yacht, and mansion” aspect, combined with the idea of surprising success.
Observation/Did You Know:
Did you know that the super-rich are increasingly opting for “lifestyle concierge” services that handle everything from buying exotic animals (which, please don’t do!) to commissioning custom-built nuclear bunkers (because who doesn’t need one these days?). I mean, giving your girlfriend a yacht is so last decade. The real power move is gifting her a personalized, self-sufficient island nation. But seriously, all that wealth…and you’re still stressed about your kid’s life choices? Maybe the yacht should be for you, pal. You clearly need a vacation from your own anxieties.
New Joke:
Why did the fourth businessman finally admit his “daughter” received the supercar, yacht, and mansion?
Because he realized if he didn’t, the other guys would start comparing their sons’ carbon footprints, and he really didn’t want to get into who was contributing most to climate change. Those yachts don’t exactly run on hopes and dreams, you know.
Explanation of the New Humor:
- Observation: This comment plays on the extremes of wealth showcased in the original joke and subtly mocks the shallow bragging by highlighting the excesses it enables. It incorporates a light poke at the anxiety of rich parents and how they relate to their offspring.
- New Joke: This punchline shifts the focus from the initial prejudice to environmental concerns, creating a more modern and self-aware form of humor. The inherent absurdity of the comparison further enhances the joke. We’re no longer just poking fun at the wealthy, but also their impact and how social pressure can change their actions.