…and he got booked to give a talk on the topic of his choice in a church in a nearby city. A few weeks before the talk, his wife asked him what he was going to talk about. His reply was, “The role of sex in a Christian marriage.”
His wife replied, “You can’t talk about that! You HAVE to find another topic to talk about!”
Not wanting to disagree with her but also not wanting to write another speech from scratch, he agrees with her but still plans on giving the sex talk.
A few days before the talk, Bob is watching one of his favorite westerns on TV and his wife asks him, “So, what are you going to talk about in your speech?”
He panics and looks at the TV where he sees several characters galloping along on their horses so he says, “Horseback riding.”
“What? You have ridden a horse only a couple of times in your life and there are no horses in the Bible!”
“Yeah, but I’m using it as an allegory and Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem and there are a few more.”
“Okay, I guess so. Oh and I’m driving you to the talk. I’ll drop you off and then go shopping.”
This is news to him but he just agrees with get and goes back to his western.
The day of the talk comes and he gives his original talk on the role of sex in a Christian marriage. It’s an amazing success & he receives a standing ovation from everybody, male & female.
His wife picks him up and asks, “So, how did your talk about horseback riding go?” He says that it went great & suggests that they go out to eat before heading back home. After they sit down at the table, he sees a couple that was in the audience for his talk come into the restaurant & they see him. They walk up to the table and the husband says, “Sir, your talk was very enjoyable!”
The wife says to Bob’s wife, “You are anincredibly lucky woman to be married to him! The subject of his talk and his obvious knowledge of it is amazing!”
His wife says, “I’m amazed he was so good at talking about it because in 40 years of marriage, I’ve only seen him do it twice!”
Joke Poo: The Algorithm Update
A software engineer named Alice, known for her eloquent explanations of complex code, was asked to present at a company-wide tech conference.
A week before the conference, her partner, Sarah, inquired about her topic. Alice replied, “The ethical implications of AI bias in facial recognition software.”
Sarah responded, “Absolutely not! That’s way too controversial! You’ll cause a PR disaster! Find something else!” Reluctantly, Alice agreed, though she still secretly planned to deliver the original talk.
Days before the event, Alice, stressed and procrastinating, was playing a mobile game. Sarah asked, “Have you finalized your presentation topic?”
Panicked, Alice glanced at her phone screen, where a cartoon penguin was frantically collecting fish. “Penguin migration patterns,” she blurted out.
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Penguin migration? You haven’t been near Antarctica since that school trip in sixth grade! And what does that have to do with technology?”
“It’s…it’s a complex allegory for data packet routing across networks! The fish represent data!” Alice stammered.
“Okay…if you say so. I’m going to be in the audience, by the way. I cleared my schedule to support you.”
The day arrived, and Alice delivered her original, fiery presentation on AI bias. It was a hit. The Q&A session was intense, but she handled it brilliantly. The audience, especially the female engineers, gave her a standing ovation.
Afterward, Sarah met Alice, beaming. “That penguin migration talk was incredible! So insightful!” Alice feigned agreement, suggesting they grab dinner. As they were being seated, two developers from the conference approached.
“Alice, your presentation was mind-blowing!” the first developer exclaimed.
The second developer turned to Sarah. “You’re so lucky to be with her! Her understanding of the underlying code is just…profound.”
Sarah smiled sweetly. “I’m amazed she knew so much. She’s been trying to fix the algorithm for that particular ‘migration’ for the last six months, and it still doesn’t work!”
Okay, let’s break down this joke and then build something new from its components.
Joke Dissection:
- Core Conflict: The humor arises from the discrepancy between the intended topic (horseback riding) and the actual topic (sex in marriage). This is further amplified by the wife’s ignorance of the actual topic and the glowing praise she receives while being completely unaware of its true nature.
- Key Elements:
- Forbidden/Taboo Subject: Sex in Christian marriage, perceived as inappropriate for public discussion in this context.
- Deception/Misdirection: Bob lying about the topic.
- Ironic Compliment: The wife receiving praise for her husband’s (apparent) expertise, which she knows isn’t based on personal experience.
- Innuendo/Double Entendre: The final line, which functions as a punchline based on the double meaning of “doing it” referring to both horseback riding and sexual relations.
- Target Audience: Likely an audience familiar with church settings, marriage dynamics, and a general understanding of social norms.
Humorous Enrichment & New Material:
Let’s focus on the “horses in the Bible” aspect of the joke and build on it.
Tidbit: While horses aren’t prominent in the Bible compared to donkeys or camels, they do appear, mainly in contexts related to warfare and royalty. Think of the chariots of Egypt pursuing the Israelites or the horses of the Apocalypse. The lack of everyday use contributes to the joke that the wife states, “there are no horses in the Bible!”
New Joke/Observation:
Joke:
A theologian was arguing with his atheist friend about the existence of God. “Look,” the theologian said, “the Bible is full of miracles! Like when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.”
The atheist scoffed, “That’s just a story! A strong tide, a lucky wind…”
The theologian persisted, “But what about the miracle of Balaam’s donkey talking?”
The atheist replied, “Okay, that I believe. I mean, in a book where horses are mostly used for war, someone had to use their voice to try and negotiate a better deal.”
Witty Observation:
Did you know that theologians have intensely debated whether the four horsemen of the apocalypse ride actual horses, or are the “horses” just metaphors for the destructive forces they represent? I always thought if they were literal horses, given the scarcity of horses in day-to-day biblical times, the arrival of the Apocalypse would be slightly delayed due to parking issues.
Another Joke:
A Sunday school teacher asked her class, “Can anyone tell me what sin is?”
Little Johnny raised his hand, “Sin is when a Biblical scholar tells his wife he’s giving a talk on horseback riding when he’s really talking about something else entirely… and I’m pretty sure God cares more about the something else entirely bit.”