As he passes the pearly gates, and angel asks, "Aren't you Innocent VI?
He replies,
"I'm not, that, Innocent."
Okay, here’s my attempt at “Joke Poo,” inspired by the Pope Innocent XII joke, titled:
Joke Poo: The Forgetful Gnome
A forgetful gnome died and went to the Enchanted Forest afterlife.
As he approached the giant mushroom gate, a wise old owl asked, “Aren’t you Mortimer the Memorable?”
He scratched his beard, squinted, and replied, “I… uh… I can’t quite recall if I am.”
Alright, let’s break down this papal punchline and see what comedic gold we can mine.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: Pope Innocent XII dies and goes to Heaven. This establishes a specific character (a historical figure associated with moral authority) and a common afterlife destination.
- Punchline: The angel mistakes him for Innocent VI, and the Pope responds, “I’m not that Innocent.” This relies on:
- Homophony: The word “Innocent” is used both as a name and as an adjective meaning “free from guilt or wrongdoing.”
- Juxtaposition: The unexpected contrast between the expected behavior of a Pope (innocence) and the Pope’s admission of being less than entirely innocent. The joke exploits our pre-conceived notions of saints.
- Historical Inaccuracy: There was not an Innocent VI, which adds a surreal layer to the joke.
Key Elements:
- Pope (specifically, the name “Innocent”)
- Heaven
- Innocence (or lack thereof)
- Angel
- Numbering of Popes
Comedic Enrichment Time!
Knowing the above, here’s an amusing “Did You Know” that plays off the original joke, focusing on papal naming conventions and a historical tidbit:
Did you know: Pope Innocent XII wasn’t nearly as unique as his name suggested! The Papal name “Innocent” has been used a grand total of 13 times, making it surprisingly popular, even though it’s probably the last name you’d want if you were hoping to get away with, say, accepting bribes or expanding the papal states through aggressive military campaigns. Speaking of Innocent XII though, his big claim to fame was banning nepotism… so maybe he was a little too innocent to realize the political capital he was losing! He was also notoriously frugal. When he was elected Pope, he sold all of his personal possessions and gave the money to the poor. So, maybe that Angel was right about the Innocent VI. Maybe the Innocent we thought we had was the one we lost!