The Fandom of the Au Pair, Eh?
Joke Poo:
Title: The Diarrhea of the Bear
I’m writing a nature documentary about a grizzly bear who unexpectedly develops a severe case of food poisoning in Yellowstone. It’s called…
The Diarrhea of the Bear, Ahoy! (Because Yellowstone’s kind of like a sea of trouble, right?)
Okay, let’s dissect “The Fandom of the Au Pair, Eh?”
Key Elements:
- “Fandom”: This refers to a dedicated fan base. It implies a level of passionate following for something.
- “Au Pair”: A young person from a foreign country living with a family, providing childcare in exchange for room and board. Implies cultural exchange and potential for comedic misunderstandings.
- “Eh”: The quintessential Canadian interjection, used for agreement, confirmation, or simply to soften a statement. Instantly sets the scene in Canada and adds a touch of stereotypical Canadian identity.
- Musical Concept: The premise itself is ripe for humor: a musical about a niche subject matter (an au pair blogger) becoming a phenomenon. The juxtaposition of the mundane (childcare, blogging) with the grandiose (musical theater, “fandom”) is inherently funny.
Analysis:
The joke works on several levels. It’s a pun (“Phantom” of the Opera -> “Fandom”). It’s a clever title for a hypothetical musical with the “Eh?” immediately establishing the Canadian setting. The idea of an au pair becoming a blogging sensation and inspiring a fandom is absurd enough to be humorous, especially when considering the potential awkwardness and cultural clashes inherent in the au pair experience.
Comedic Enrichment – Creating a New Joke/Observation:
Option 1: “Did You Know?” Factoid with a Twist
“Did you know that maple syrup, Canada’s liquid gold, is graded based on clarity and color? And similarly, the blog posts of our fictional au pair are graded by the level of passive-aggressive comments from the parents about her questionable use of said maple syrup in her “poutine for toddlers” recipe? It’s all part of building The Fandom of the Au Pair, Eh? — a musical so saccharine, it’ll give you diabetes!”
Why this works:
- It uses a real Canadian fact (maple syrup grading) to set the stage.
- It connects the fact to the fictional world of the musical, highlighting the potential for conflict and humor.
- It adds a self-deprecating meta-joke about the musical’s potential for being overly sweet.
Option 2: A New Joke Structure
“Why did the Canadian exchange student refuse to audition for the ‘Cats’ musical in Toronto? Because she said she’d already experienced enough feline-esque behavior from the kids she babysat, eh? And now she’s writing The Fandom of the Au Pair, Eh?!”
Why this works:
- It sets up an expectation (the student refusing an audition) with a surprising and relevant punchline (the kids’ behavior and the musical tie-in).
- It reinforces the au pair’s experience and the potential for comedic situations.
- The use of “eh” brings it all back to the Canadian setting and the musical.
Option 3: Witty Observation
“The true sign that The Fandom of the Au Pair, Eh? is a success? When people start cosplaying as the children she nannies… complete with sticky fingers and strategically placed maple syrup stains.”
Why this works:
- It extrapolates a funny scenario based on the success of the musical.
- It connects the cosplay (fan culture) to elements from the play itself (sticky kids, maple syrup) which heightens the humor.
The key is to take the existing comedic seeds and cultivate them with related, factual, or absurd extensions. By focusing on the specifics of Canada, au pairs, blogging, and fandom, we can create new layers of humor that enhance the original joke.