My friend was in a horrific accident and lost the entire left side of his body.

Okay, here’s my attempt at a “Joke Poo,” riffing on the original, titled “Toilet Humor”:

Title: Toilet Humor

My plumber was working on a truly disgusting clog in my bathroom. He spent hours wrestling with it, using every tool he had. When he finally emerged, covered in grime and smelling truly awful, I asked him if he’d managed to clear it.

He just shook his head sadly and said, “I’m afraid not, sir. But I did manage to retrieve a tiny plastic submarine.”

I was shocked! “A toy submarine? Whose could that be?”

He shrugged, a weary look in his eye. “I haven’t a clue, but it was carrying a full crew of minifigures. Amazingly, though… they all seemed to be quite flushed about the whole ordeal.”

Okay, let’s analyze the joke:

Deconstruction:

• Setup: “My friend was in a horrific accident and lost the entire left side of his body.” This sets a grim and serious tone, leading the listener to expect a story of suffering or recovery. The phrase “entire left side” is intentionally dramatic and hyperbolic.
• Punchline: “Amazingly, he says he’s all right.” This is a pun using the double meaning of “all right.” On one hand, it’s a statement of well-being. On the other hand, it means the person only has the right side remaining. The humour comes from the unexpected twist and the stark contrast between the horrific setup and the ridiculously understated punchline.
• Key Elements:
  • Body parts/Anatomy (specifically the left and right sides)
  • Accidents/Trauma
  • Puns/Wordplay
  • Understatement/Irony

Enrichment: Applying Factual/Interesting Tidbits

Let’s focus on the body’s left and right sides. Here’s a “Did you know?” inspired joke based on the lateralization of brain functions:

New Joke/Observation:

Did you know? The left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, and vice versa. So technically, if my friend lost his entire left side in an accident, the right hemisphere of his brain is probably the one panicking! No wonder he’s only half as worried as he should be! Maybe he needs to see a right-minded doctor.