The brakes of course
Okay, here’s my attempt at a “Joke Poo” version:
Joke Poo: The Space Budget
Your spaceship is hurtling towards either a crucial life-support system or a funding request for a feasibility study on alien communication… what do you cut?
The ribbon! (at the life-support system’s grand re-opening after the feasibility study proved alien silence.)
Alright, let’s analyze this little gem.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: Presents a classic ethical dilemma with a morbid twist – a forced choice between hitting a child or an elderly person. The setup preys on our moral conditioning, anticipating a response focused on minimizing harm.
- Punchline: “The brakes, of course!” This is a subversion of expectations. Instead of engaging with the moral dilemma, it chooses a completely logical and safe option. The humor comes from the unexpected, sensible answer in a context designed to elicit an emotional/moral response.
- Humor Type: Wordplay/Misdirection, Subversive Humor
Key Elements:
- Vehicle: Cars/Driving, Ethical Dilemma
- Victims: Children, Elderly People
- Solution: Brakes/Safety
Comedic Enrichment & New Joke Ideas:
Let’s leverage some “did you knows” about driving safety and combine it with the original joke’s structure for a new laugh:
Did You Know? The average car contains over 30,000 parts, but the only one most people remember when faced with an impending collision is the brake pedal. Which makes sense, considering that panic-braking can reduce stopping distances by up to 40%!
New Joke Idea (Playing off the statistic):
Your self-driving car is heading towards a kid riding a scooter or an old man walking with a cane. What does it prioritize?
Hopefully, the algorithms prioritize avoiding a lawsuit. But you, in the driver’s seat, should prioritize the brakes… because even with all that fancy AI, your stopping distance will still be measured in feet, not good intentions.
Explanation of New Joke:
- Builds on the original: Takes the same core dilemma and applies it to a more modern scenario: self-driving cars.
- Incorporates Fact: Alludes to the complexity of self-driving car programming but brings it back down to earth with the blunt reality of braking distance.
- Maintains Subversion: Again, avoids the emotional trap of choosing a victim, and focuses on the practical, albeit slightly cynical, solution. Adds a layer of dark humor by implicating the legal consequences.
Alternatively, here’s a meta-joke leveraging the joke structure:
Your sense of humor is presented with a tired old “kid or grandpa” dilemma joke. What does it do?
It hits the snooze button. There are funnier scenarios than that.
This one uses the same setup but subverts the expectations by commenting on the unoriginality of the original joke. The humor is in the self-awareness and poking fun at the cliche.