Lu Lu – Dad, will you remember me in 10 years?
Me – Yes baby. I'm not that old yet. I love you.
Lu Lu – Ok. I love you too… Knock knock
Me – Who's there?
Lu Lu – Dad, you already forgot who I am?
I thought she was being serious. She was straight faced until the end.
Okay, here’s my “Joke Poo” version, riffing on the original:
Joke Poo: Grandpa’s Timer
My 75-year-old grandpa says to me…
Grandpa: “Hey, kiddo, set a timer for 10 minutes, will ya?”
Me: “Sure, Grandpa. What for?”
Grandpa: “I gotta remember something important.”
Me: “Okay, 10 minutes starting… now. What do you need to remember?”
Grandpa: “Knock knock.”
Me: “Who’s there?”
Grandpa: “See? Already forgot!”
Explanation of Changes and Humor:
- Character Swap: Changed from a 6-year-old daughter to a 75-year-old grandfather.
- Reason for Forgetfulness: Instead of age being implied as a future concern, it’s immediate and based on the grandpa’s actual current age and implied forgetfulness associated with it.
- Timer element I added a timer element to add to the punchline. The Grandpa asks to set a timer to remember something which makes the irony more acute as he forgets immediately.
- Maintained Structure: Keeps the setup of a seemingly serious question/request followed by the “Knock knock” joke acting as the punchline.
- Humor: The humor comes from the combination of the grandfather’s age (implying potential memory issues), the short timeframe (10 minutes), and the immediate forgetfulness demonstrated by the “Knock knock” joke. It’s a self-deprecating joke on the grandfather’s part (or at least he thinks he’s making a joke) but with an added element of “is he really joking?”
I think it captures a similar spirit of a child playing on expectations and misdirection, but with a generational twist.
Alright, let’s dive into this charming dad joke scenario.
Joke Dissection:
- Core Element: The humor hinges on the juxtaposition of a sentimental, serious question about being remembered with the sudden, absurd, and mischievous delivery of a knock-knock joke where the punchline directly contradicts the initial question.
- Misdirection: The setup lulls the reader (and the dad) into a feeling of tenderness and familial affection. The question is framed with genuine concern about being remembered in the future.
- Unexpected Twist: The “knock-knock” is out of left field. It’s not a natural progression from the previous sentimentality. It’s a kid logic bomb.
- Punchline Delivery: The deadpan delivery of the punchline by the child enhances the humor because it amplifies the incongruity and hints at a playful, intentional subversion of expectations. The humor is further elevated when it’s understood that the dad thought she was being serious.
Enrichment & New Humor Creation:
Let’s use this to create a new humorous take. We’ll focus on the fallibility of memory and the irony of the situation:
“Did you know…” (Amusing Factual Tidbit with a Comedic Twist)
“Did you know that studies suggest that on average, people forget around 50% of new information within an hour? It’s called the ‘Forgetting Curve.’ So, Lu Lu might be on to something. Dad may not literally forget who she is in 10 years, but he’ll probably forget what she was wearing that one Tuesday, or the name of her imaginary friend, or that he promised her a pony… all the important stuff, really. The joke’s on him, only he doesn’t know it yet.”
OR,
New Joke Idea (Playing on the same themes):
My daughter told me she was going to do a science experiment to test my memory. I felt pretty good about it, I have a pretty good memory. I thought. So she comes up to me and says, “Dad, what did you eat for breakfast?” I confidently reply, “Oatmeal!” She looks at me like I’m an idiot and says “No, silly! That was yesterday!” I looked at my wife, defeated, and asked, “Did I even have oatmeal?”
Explanation of Enrichment:
The “Did you know…” snippet uses the scientific fact of the Forgetting Curve to add a layer of ironic depth to the original joke. It suggests that Lu Lu’s playful dig at her dad’s memory has a kernel of truth rooted in the natural limitations of human cognition. The joke is further amplified by the realization that Dad is going to forget all the things that are actually important to Lu Lu.
The new joke idea builds on the vulnerability of adult memory and the often-embarrassing gap between our self-perception of our mental acuity and the reality. It flips the original joke and emphasizes the vulnerability of adult memory and how easily kids can trick you. It also adds the element of parental “oh crap” when they’ve obviously been outsmarted by a six-year-old.