My first selfie was oil on canvass.
Okay, here’s the original joke and my attempt at a “Joke Poo” version:
Original Joke:
I’m So Old…
My first selfie was oil on canvas.
Joke Poo: I’m So Tech-Savvy…
I’m So Tech-Savvy…
My first Snapchat had carrier pigeons.
Alright, let’s break down this joke and give it a comedic facelift!
Joke Dissection:
- Structure: It’s a classic “I’m so old…” setup, a well-worn joke format relying on exaggeration and contrasting the past with the present.
- Key Elements:
- “I’m So Old…”: The established phrase sets the expectation for a statement about age.
- “Selfie”: A distinctly modern concept, representing instant, readily available self-portraits.
- “Oil on Canvas”: A traditional, labor-intensive method of portraiture, implying a vastly different era.
- Humor Mechanism: The humor comes from the anachronistic juxtaposition. The joke forces us to imagine a world where the only way to take a “selfie” was to commission a formal portrait painting. The absurdity lies in the time, expense, and formality associated with such a process compared to the ease of a modern selfie.
Factually-Enriched Humor Creation:
Let’s focus on the “oil on canvas” element.
Interesting Tidbit: Oil paints, while appearing timeless in many masterpieces, actually undergo a chemical process called autoxidation. This means the oil slowly reacts with oxygen in the air, cross-linking and solidifying. This process can take years, even decades, to fully complete, affecting the paint’s appearance over time (like yellowing).
New Joke Idea:
I’m so old, my oil-on-canvas selfie is still drying. The artist keeps calling me, complaining about the VOCs.
Explanation of the New Joke’s Humor:
- Builds on the original: Maintains the initial “I’m so old” theme and the oil painting premise.
- Incorporates the fact: References the long drying time of oil paints, exaggerating it to ridiculous lengths.
- Adds a modern twist: Introduces the concern about “VOCs” (Volatile Organic Compounds), a modern environmental concern related to paints and art supplies. This juxtaposition highlights the generational difference – from getting a formal painting, to complaining about potential toxins it emits.
- Implied Narratives: Paints a funny picture of an old person impatient with their artwork and of the artist frustrated by the demands of a client who hasn’t adapted to modern art materials.
Another Idea: “Did You Know” Humor
Did You Know: The term “selfie” wasn’t officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary until 2013. That’s like waiting for 100 years to finally give Leonardo da Vinci his iPhone! I bet he’d have preferred a shortcut to getting Mona Lisa to smile.
Explanation: This “Did You Know” version still plays off the time difference by emphasizing how recent the term “selfie” is. It then adds an element of historical absurdity by imagining a historical artist in a modern context, creating a humorous scenario.