A man out jogging notices that the local Catholic parish is on fire. He knocks on the rectory door and alerts the priest, who comes running out carrying the Eucharist.
He continues his jog when behold, the synagogue is on fire. He knocks on the door and alerts the rabbi, who comes running out carrying the Torah scrolls.
He again resumes jogging, and lo, the Unitarian Universalist church is on fire. He knocks on the door and alerts the minister, who comes running out carrying the coffee pot.
Okay, here’s my attempt at a “Joke Poo” version, titled “Tech Support Fires”:
Tech Support Fires
A software developer, during their daily walk, notices a start-up’s office building is on fire. He calls the CEO, who comes running out clutching a whiteboard covered in Agile post-it notes.
He continues his walk and sees a Fortune 500 company’s HQ ablaze. He calls the CIO, who comes running out carrying a dusty server rack humming loudly.
He keeps walking and sees a lone coder’s apartment on fire. He calls the coder, who stumbles out, half-asleep, holding a half-eaten bowl of ramen and a rubber duck.
Okay, let’s break down this joke and then brew up some fresh humor:
Analysis:
- Core Setup: The joke establishes a pattern: Jogger discovers a religious building on fire, alerts the leader, who rescues the most sacred/essential object.
- Humor Source: The humor lies in the punchline’s unexpected and satirical departure from the established pattern. Each religion is being reduced to a caricature.
- Religious Symbols: The Eucharist and Torah scrolls are undeniably central to Catholic and Jewish worship, respectively.
- Unitarian Universalism (UU) Punchline: The coffee pot, in this context, pokes fun at a perceived stereotype of Unitarian Universalism as being more about social gatherings and intellectual discussion than strict dogma. It plays on UU’s inclusive and non-creedal nature.
- Underlying Observation: The joke touches on what each religion values most, and the punchline highlights that UU is more casual, which is why coffee is the most prized object to the minister.
Humorous Enrichment:
Let’s leverage some actual facts about Unitarian Universalism to create a fresh punchline:
New Approach:
Start with the setup as is…
“He again resumes jogging, and lo, the Unitarian Universalist church is on fire. He knocks on the door and alerts the minister, who comes running out carrying…wait for it…” …a t-shirt that says ‘Question Authority.’“
Why this works:
- Play on UU Values: UU emphasizes critical thinking, individual conscience, and questioning traditional norms. A “Question Authority” t-shirt, while humorous, reflects a core UU principle.
- Subtlety and Nuance: It’s still unexpected, like the coffee pot, but it’s a slightly more sophisticated joke that requires some understanding of UU philosophy. The joke acknowledges the lack of central beliefs in UU and uses that to create humor.
- Connection to Reality: “Question Authority” is a sentiment frequently associated with progressive and independent thinkers, a demographic often found within UU congregations.
- Bonus Did You Know?: Unitarian Universalism doesn’t have a central scripture or authority figure. Instead, members are encouraged to develop their own spiritual path based on reason, experience, and conscience. They don’t even have an official drink!