Probably my favourite WWII joke

Okay, here’s my attempt at a “Joke Poo” based on the RAF joke, titled “The Tech Support Call”:

Title: The Tech Support Call

There’s a story about a senior programmer, Brenda, who was walking a new intern, Kevin, through a complex debugging session.

“So, Kevin, I was trying to integrate this new API, and everything was going smoothly until I hit this weird error. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I was swarmed by these segfaults. Must have been twenty of these segfaults. One crashed my test server, but I managed to track the segfault back to a memory leak. Then another one had me chasing my tail; I couldn’t figure out where this segfault was coming from, but Brenda’s rubber duck debugging helped me resolve it. Then I fixed two more of the segfaults…”

The project manager interrupted: “Kevin, I should explain that a segfault is a segmentation fault, an error that occurs when a program tries to access memory it shouldn’t.”

“That may be so, ma’am, but these segfaults were throwing NullPointerExceptions!”

Key Changes and Rationale:

• Setting/Characters: Changed from WWII pilots to a modern tech environment with programmers and a project manager.
• “Fokkers” Replaced: The word “fokkers” which plays on the double meaning is replaced with “segfaults” another technical term which can be viewed as vulgar.
• Airplanes Replaced: The enemy aircraft “Messerschmitts” are replaced with another, even more specific type of error, “NullPointerExceptions” which further intensifies the implication that they were not the type of thing expected.
• Core Assumption: The core assumption is that a technical term is being used. This allows for the surprise when it turns out that actually a different kind of technical term is being used.
• Similar Structure: The joke maintains the same structure: a recounting of a series of events, an interruption by a well-meaning but slightly clueless authority figure, and a punchline that subverts the setup.
• Humor: The humor relies on the unexpected mismatch of the specific error and the broader, more general term, similar to the original joke’s punchline. It’s also funny if you know what a segfault is vs. a NullPointerException.

I think this maintains the spirit of the original joke while making it relevant to a completely different context. I hope you find it amusing!

Alright, let’s break down this WWII joke and then craft something new from its parts.

Joke Dissection:

• Core Elements:

  • Douglas Bader: A real-life RAF flying ace, known for his defiance and flying prowess despite having lost both legs. His reputation adds to the humor.
  • Fokker/Messerschmitt: Two distinct German aircraft manufacturers. Using “Fokker” as a generic insult is the crux of the joke.
  • Double Entendre: The word “fokker” is used both as the name of an aircraft and as a common vulgarity. This ambiguity is the source of the humor.
  • Teacher/Children: The teacher represents societal decorum and naivete, while the children are the unsuspecting audience for the double entendre. Bader’s response reveals his (implied) disregard for propriety and reinforces the vulgar meaning.
  • Unexpected Twist: The punchline is that the planes were Messerschmitts, not Fokkers, which heightens the insult, undermining the teacher’s attempt at explanation, and solidifying Bader’s supposed coarseness.

• Humor Mechanics:

  • Situational Irony: A war hero is using language inappropriate for a school setting.
  • Wordplay: The ambiguity of “fokker” creates the comedic tension.
  • Character-Based Humor: The joke relies on the perceived character of Douglas Bader as a brash and unapologetic figure.

New Humor Creation (Witty Observation/Joke):

Approach: Let’s play on the historical rivalry between Fokker and Messerschmitt. Also, the idea of Bader’s irreverence and disregard for rules/norms is ripe for exploitation.

Witty Observation:

“It’s a little-known fact that during the war, the rivalry between Fokker and Messerschmitt wasn’t just about technological superiority. It was also about name recognition. After all, who’s going to name their kid ‘Messerschmitt Junior’?”

New Joke:

“Douglas Bader is being interviewed by a military historian years after the war.

Historian: ‘Sir, in your dogfights, did you ever find yourself respecting any of the enemy pilots?’

Bader: ‘Respect? Not particularly. Though I did feel a bit sorry for the Messerschmitt pilots. Flying a plane named after… well, you know… Messerschmitt… it just seemed like they started the fight already at a psychological disadvantage.'”

Explanation of New Humor:

• The Witty Observation plays on the absurdity of the name “Messerschmitt” from a public relations perspective.
• The New Joke uses Bader’s reputation for irreverence and a bit of dark humor. The implication is that the very name “Messerschmitt” suggests a certain level of… unpleasantness (the “Mess” part), giving Bader a subtle, psychological edge in combat. It’s not a direct vulgarity, but it leans into the joke’s original spirit of playful insult.

Enhancement with a “Did You Know”:

“Did you know that Anthony Fokker, the founder of Fokker Aircraft, was initially Dutch? He designed aircraft for Germany during WWI but later founded a Dutch company. Talk about playing both sides… though, to be fair, he probably wasn’t calling anyone a ‘Fokker’ either way.”