Cumin.
Okay, here’s my attempt at a “Joke Poo” version:
Joke Poo: The Stench of Salesmanship
What’s the most aggressively enthusiastic thing to say to a customer browsing in a perfume shop?
Eau de Toilette-ally going to buy that!
Alright, let’s spice things up and analyze this pun-tastic joke!
Dissection of the Original Joke:
- Setup: “What’s the spiciest thing to say to a man during sex?” – This sets up an expectation of something racy, suggestive, or perhaps assertive. It plays on the double entendre of “spicy” meaning both sexually exciting and relating to culinary spices.
- Punchline: “Cumin.” – This is a pun. It uses the word “cumin,” a common spice, to answer the question. The humor lies in the unexpected and incongruous connection between a seemingly mundane cooking ingredient and a highly intimate situation. The listener anticipates a suggestive answer, but receives a literal spice.
Key Elements:
- Double Entendre: “Spicy” has two meanings, creating the foundation for the joke.
- Pun: The use of “cumin” to exploit the double meaning.
- Juxtaposition: The comedic contrast between the expected (sexual innuendo) and the delivered (a kitchen spice).
- Incongruity: The unexpected, almost absurd, application of a spice to a romantic encounter.
Comedic Enrichment & New Material:
Okay, let’s leverage these elements to create something new.
Option 1: A Witty Observation (playing on expectations):
“The real spiciest thing you can say during sex isn’t ‘cumin.’ It’s ‘I just renewed your car insurance.'” (This plays on the idea of completely shattering the mood with something utterly mundane.)
Option 2: A ‘Did You Know’ (enhancing the original punchline):
“Did you know that cumin has been used as an aphrodisiac in some cultures? So, saying ‘cumin’ during sex might actually work. You’re just playing the long game of culinary foreplay.”
Option 3: A Related Joke (building on the spice theme):
“What’s the most disappointed spice?
.
.
.
Old Bay. Because it always gets left on the shelf during spicey-time.” (This relies on another well known spice and plays on its perceived lack of romantic appeal)
Option 4: A Story Starter:
“I once tried to be ‘spicy’ during sex and said ‘Cumin.’ My partner looked at me blankly and said, ‘We’re out of cumin. Could you grab some from the store after this?’ Needless to say, it wasn’t a very seasoned encounter.” (This tells a story about the spice creating a humorous mishap)
Analysis of the new material:
- Option 1 reverses the expectation of the original. Instead of delivering a spice pun, it delivers a mundane statement. This generates humor from its anti-climax.
- Option 2 adds a layer of (pseudo)fact to the original punchline, ironically supporting the use of “cumin” in a sexual context, making the joke even more absurd.
- Option 3 builds on the theme of spices to create a new joke, using a different spice with contrasting attributes and an amusing play on words.
- Option 4 takes the premise of the original joke and turns it into a short, relatable anecdote, highlighting the humor of the situation.
The key to comedic enrichment is understanding the mechanics of the original joke and then building upon those mechanics – either by subverting expectations, adding new information, or expanding the premise into a related scenario.