The world’s hardest joke to get right?
I think I’ve discovered - after many months of trying to get it right - the world’s hardest joke.
Now, this might seem a bit of an odd thing to say. If I can’t get it to be funny, then it must be unfunny, right? Well, maybe a little bit - it’s very corny - but I’ve heard this joke told right. It’s certainly not Monty Python’s “Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! … Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput,” but it’s OK.
The thing is, the wording of the set-up seems impossible. I know the punchline - a lovely punchline/second punchline combo - is theoretically very funny, but it’s the line immediately preceding this I can’t get. The gist is that Bob Marley buys doughnuts, then - and this is the difficult bit - something happens or is said - and then the punchline, based on the song “Jammin’”. It’s the something in the middle which needs to build tension I can’t get the hang of. The Wailers asking what sort of doughnuts he has isn’t enough, there needs to be some sort of conflict there about what they might be - and there was in the original version I heard - but for the life of me I can’t word that bit right. I have a complete mental block about it.
My question is this - can you tell the definitive version of this joke? No prizes if you can, just my admiration. And to start you off, here’s the best version I can come up with:
So, Bob Marley has a busy day at the studio and he pops out for doughnuts. All the Wailers are sitting around waiting for him to come back, and eventually he does, with several boxes of them.
“What sort did you get, Bob?” they ask.
“I got jam ones” he replies. “I hope that’s OK”.
0