…when they see a pile of manure. One economist says to the other, "Hey, I'll give you $10k to take a bite of that manure." Though disgusted, the second economist accepts. He eats the manure and collects his ten thousand dollars.
A mile down the road, they pass another pile of manure and the second economist says to the first, "Hey, I'll give you $10k to take a bite of that manure." Though disgusted, the economist accepts the offer, takes a bite of the manure, and collects his ten thousand dollars.
At this point, it occurs to both economists they've just been trading the $10k between themselves. But they both agree they contributed $20k to the GDP, so the whole endeavor was worthwhile.
Joke Poo: Two Programmers Debugging
Two Programmers are staring at a screen filled with spaghetti code…
…when they spot a particularly egregious block that’s causing a major bug. One programmer says to the other, “I’ll give you a $100 Amazon gift card to refactor that mess.” Though hesitant, the second programmer agrees. He spends hours untangling the code and squashing the bug, and eventually claims his gift card.
A little later, they encounter another equally awful section of code and the second programmer says to the first, “Hey, I’ll give you a $100 Amazon gift card to refactor that monstrosity.” Though groaning, the first programmer takes the challenge, wrestling with the code until it’s finally cleaned up, and receives his gift card.
Suddenly, it dawns on them that they’ve just been swapping the same $100 gift cards back and forth. But they both agree their codebase is significantly cleaner, so it was definitely an improvement.
Alright, let’s dissect this economic dung heap of a joke!
Key Elements:
- Economists: Stereotypically portrayed as rational actors, yet here they engage in an absurd activity. This creates immediate comedic tension.
- Manure: Gross, unpleasant, and inherently undignified. The willingness of the economists to engage with it for money is the engine of the joke.
- Transaction: The exchange of money for eating manure. The increasingly pointless nature of this transaction is the core of the humor.
- GDP (Gross Domestic Product): The punchline hinges on the economists’ warped justification of their actions through the lens of GDP contribution. It highlights a cynical view of economic indicators.
- Irony: The stark contrast between the repulsive nature of the activity and the seemingly logical, yet ultimately absurd, economic rationale.
Comedic Enrichment:
Okay, now let’s use these elements to create something new. Here’s a “Did You Know?” style observation playing off the original joke:
“Did you know? The original economic indicator, “Gross National Happiness,” conceived in Bhutan, never considered the hedonic impact of manure consumption, regardless of its contribution to Gross Domestic Product. Bhutanese economists, when faced with a similar scenario, reportedly opted for meditation, thereby increasing the ‘Quiet Time’ index and boosting national tranquility. However, the resulting decrease in GDP left the nation deeply unsettled… until they realized tranquility was cheaper than antacids.”
Explanation of Enrichment:
- Extends the Economic Theme: The “Did You Know?” format leans into the informational aspect often associated with economic discussions.
- Introduces a Contrasting Idea: By mentioning “Gross National Happiness,” we highlight an alternative to pure GDP-focused thinking, further poking fun at the original joke’s premise.
- Absurdity Amplifier: The Bhutanese example provides an even more absurd scenario, exaggerating the silliness of the economists’ behavior in the original joke.
- Witty Twist: The final punchline about tranquility being cheaper than antacids offers a wry observation about the practical consequences of pursuing happiness vs. wealth. It connects back to the theme of the joke while adding a new layer of humor.
I could also try a different approach and write a new joke following the same template… let me know if you’d prefer that!