This guy is a legend!
Okay, here’s my attempt at a “Joke Poo” based on your original joke, titled “Toilet Map”:
Original Joke: Have you heard of the guy who got a tattoo with map symbols and their meaning? This guy is a legend!
Joke Poo – Toilet Map
Have you heard about the plumber who tattooed a map of the city’s sewer system onto his back, complete with symbols and flow indicators?
He’s backing up the system!
Key Changes and Explanation:
- Character: Changed from a random “guy” to a plumber. This immediately sets up an expectation related to plumbing and sewage.
- Tattoo Subject: Instead of a regular map, it’s a map of the sewer system. This is crucial for the pun.
- Pun: The punchline plays on the double meaning of “backing up the system.” It refers both to the plumber having a detailed map of the sewer system, and the common plumbing problem of a system being backed up.
The humor comes from the unexpected connection between the plumber’s dedicated knowledge and a frustrating plumbing issue. It’s a silly, slightly gross, but hopefully funny twist on the original’s format of a surprising and over-the-top commitment to map knowledge.
Alright, let’s break down this comedic gem (a very rough-cut gem, to be fair) and see what we can polish it into.
Analysis:
- Core Element: The joke hinges on a pun, using the idea of “legend” in two senses: 1) someone renowned, and 2) the key to understanding map symbols.
- Implied Setup: We assume the tattoo is extensive and accurate, detailing a wide range of map symbols.
- Humor Type: It’s very mild wordplay, relying on the double meaning of “legend” to create a slight surprise. The punchline is more of an affirmation of the set up. It’s amusing in its simplicity, and a little bit lame.
Enrichment & New Humor Creation:
Let’s play with the idea of the elaborate map symbol tattoo.
Approach 1: The Unexpected Realism
- New Joke: “I met a guy with a full-body map tattoo. It was incredibly detailed – right down to the contour lines showing his weight fluctuations.”
- Why it works: It takes the initial concept and adds a layer of unexpected, slightly self-deprecating realism. Contour lines are accurate measurements, and applying them to weight makes it funny because it’s relatable (and mildly embarrassing.)
Approach 2: The Historical (and Highly Inaccurate) “Did You Know?”
- Did you know: “The earliest map tattoos, dating back to Ancient Egypt, weren’t meant for navigation. They were used by Pharaohs to declare dominion over lands, with each symbol depicting a specific tax rate. Archaeologists believe a tattoo depicting a small, crossed-out palm tree meant ‘reduced date harvest tax due to locust infestation.'”
- Why it works: This leverages the historical aspect of mapping. I’ve spun a completely fabricated, and probably historically insensitive, ‘fact’ about tax rates to give an amusing backdrop to map tattoos. The specificity of the “crossed-out palm tree” adds to the absurd humor.
Approach 3: The Meta-Commentary
- New Observation: “The funniest thing about a map symbol tattoo isn’t the design, it’s the existential crisis the owner has when a cartographer invents a new symbol, rendering part of their body obsolete.”
- Why it works: It adds a layer of self-awareness about map symbols changing.
In short, we’ve dissected the original joke, identified its core element (the double meaning of “legend” and the concept of a map symbol tattoo), and then used this understanding to create new, hopefully funnier, pieces of humor that build upon the original concept. I’ve tried to take the original concept to new comedic heights. Hopefully these options offer an incremental improvement!