They work for a while, and two cows come walking through the pasture beside the barn. The friend looks over and says, "Wow. Those are some fine looking animals. Where do they sleep?"
And the farmer says, "The black one or the white one?"
And the friend says, "Uh, I dont know. The black one."
Farmer: "Oh, she sleeps in the barn."
Friend: "OK, where does the white one sleep?"
Farmer: "Oh, she sleeps in the barn too."
The friend looks confused and then says, "What do you feed them cows?"
Farmer: "The black one or the white one?"
Friend: "The white one."
Farmer: "Hay."
Friend: "And the black one?"
Farmer: "Hay."
Friend: "What are you talking about, Carl? Why do you keep asking me whether I'm talking about the white cow or the black cow??"
Farmer: "Oh. It's because I own the black cow."
Friend: "Who owns the white one?"
Farmer: "I do."
Joke Poo: The Parrot’s Price
A programmer asks a hardware engineer to help him debug a particularly stubborn piece of code. They stare at the screen for hours, lines of code scrolling by, pulling their hair out. Suddenly, a brightly colored parrot squawks from its perch in the corner of the room.
"Compile! Compile!" the parrot screeches.
The programmer looks at the engineer and says, "Wow, that’s impressive! Where did you get a parrot that can tell us to compile?"
The engineer says, "The left one or the right one?"
The programmer says, "Uh, I don’t know. The left one."
Engineer: "From a pet store downtown."
Programmer: "OK, where did you get the right one?"
Engineer: "From a pet store downtown, too."
The programmer, completely bewildered, asks, "Well, what did you pay for them?"
Engineer: "The left one or the right one?"
Programmer: "The right one!"
Engineer: "Five hundred dollars."
Programmer: "And the left one?"
Engineer: "Five hundred dollars."
The programmer throws his hands up in the air, "For crying out loud! Why do you keep asking me if I’m talking about the left parrot or the right parrot?!"
The engineer shrugs. "Oh. It’s because I named the left parrot."
Programmer: "Who named the right parrot?"
Engineer: "I did."
Okay, let’s dissect this joke!
Core Elements:
- Setup: Two people (farmer and friend) are fixing a generator on a farm.
- Premise: The farmer repeatedly asks which cow (black or white) the friend is referring to, even when the answer is the same regardless.
- Punchline: The farmer reveals the reason for the distinction is simply ownership, a trivial and irrelevant detail.
- Humor Type: Absurdist, slightly dry. The humor comes from the unnecessary and pointless repetition. It also plays on the stereotype of a farmer being simple or folksy.
Interesting Tidbits & Facts to Milk (pun intended!)
- Cow Colors: While we’re talking black and white cows, did you know the Holstein Friesian breed, famous for its black and white markings, actually evolved to have a huge variety of markings including red and white? (and some even shades of blue and grey)
- Generators & Farms: Farms rely heavily on generators, especially for things like powering milking machines or keeping barns heated in winter. A generator malfunction can be a real crisis.
- Farmer Stereotypes: Farmers are often depicted as simple, even slow-witted, in popular culture. This joke leans into that stereotype. In reality, modern farming is a complex, technical business.
Now, let’s generate some new humor!
1. Witty Observation:
"You know, Carl is the kind of guy who separates his socks by the day they were purchased. ‘These are my Monday socks, and these are my Tuesday socks. They’re all the same brand and style and feel identical, but the principle is important!’"
2. "Did You Know?" (Playing with the Absurdity):
"Did you know that cows, unlike Carl, don’t generally care who owns them? Studies have shown that a cow’s primary concerns are access to grass, affection (from anyone), and the strategic avoidance of mud puddles. It’s a fascinating area of bovine indifference."
3. New Joke:
A city slicker visits a farm and is constantly corrected by the farmer.
"Nice looking tractor," says the city slicker.
"It’s the John Deere I let my son borrow," says the farmer.
Later, "Lovely looking truck."
"That’s the Ford I use for my deliveries."
Finally, as they’re looking at cows: "Those are some fat cows!"
"That’s the herd." replies the farmer.
"What’s that?" asks the city slicker.
"Oh it’s my herd, but I also use it for beef, it’s the only cows I own."
Explanation:
My new joke attempts to mimic the structure of the original, building up to a punchline. The city slicker’s comments are always met with a correction specifying ownership or usage, setting up the expectation of a similar irrelevant distinction, so when the farmer just goes ‘That’s the herd.’, it’s unexpected, but slightly absurd. I think it will do well at the agricultural humor fair this year.