Analysis of Jokes
Contest Observations — The Perfect Pet
What one person finds funny is not the same as the next person. My favorite line was not picked as a top-three line by the judges. That doesn’t mean anyone is right or wrong. That’s just the way it is. Humor is subjective.
There is more than one angle to a joke. Just as there are a variety of ways to approach creating a joke…there are just as many ways to receive and “get” a joke. Not everyone does it the same way.
Let’s look at some of the connections and triggers that helped people write lines for The Perfect Pet.
Key Words: Words associated with a group or profession.
Stand-up comedian: Hamster (key word HAM)
Comic: Mockingbird (key word MOCK)
Bowler: Alley Cat (key word Bowling ALLEY)
Weight lifter: Mussels (key word MUSCLES)
Fork (sub-category)
A musician: A doe, a deer, a female deer (sub-category of DEER–Doe)
Bill Gates: 70 billion male Deer (sub-category of DEER–Buck)
Non-Animals (insects and fish)
Tall fathers: Daddy long legs (Spider)
Wig fitter: Heron (Fish)
Non-Animals (but sounds like animal)
Chiropractor: Charlie Horse
Candy maker: Chocolate Moose
Similar Sounds
Shakespearian actor: Two bees (TO BE)
Impatient Uncle: Antelope (AUNT ELOPE)
Wig fitter: Heron (HAIR ON)
Master of no trades: Jackal (JACK OF ALL)
Adding a topper
Shakespearian actor: Two bees, or not
Noah: Aardvark, in pairs
Cliche
Shakespearian actor: Two bees (To be or not to be)
Circus ringmaster: Dog and Pony (Dog and pony show)
Someone standing on the other side of the road: A chicken (uses chicken joke cliche)
Implied punchline
Sitcom Producer: Hyena in a trash can (Canned Laughter–a little work is required on the part of the listener)
Pear farmer: Partridge (the connector word TREE is not mentioned)
Lingerie designer: Zebra (Z is an implied cup size)
Song Lyrics
A musician: A doe, a deer, a female deer (Do Re Mi)
Pear farmer: Partridge (12 Days of Christmas)
Word with double meaning
Dermatologist: Mole
CIA Agent: Mole
Action verb
Boxer: Slug
Physical object
A baseball player: A bat
Construction worker: Crane
Reversal/Palindrome
Dyslexic God: Dog