Myshuno! 2014 Prompt: "I can't remember the punchline" (265 words)
The prompt for this story was “‘I can’t remember the punchline’,” submitted by w_sims. This story fits into the current chapter of The Fantabulous Newsons. There are no spoilers.
Rating: G
Dramatis Personae
Gallagher Newson, aged about nine, whose duties as the family sideshow include comedy and sales
Female customer, as described
Setting
The lot where the News on are squatting and hosting their sideshow for very little income indeed.
GALLAGHER (earnestly): Gee, Mrs. Lady, thank you for coming to our show! Wow!
FEMALE CUSTOMER: You’re welcome.
GALLAGHER: We work really hard on it. My brother Gavin’s been practicing the fiddle all the time.
(The customer winces as a particularly off-key screech comes from Gavin’s direction)
FEMALE CUSTOMER: Has he now?
GALLAGHER: Yeah! Hey, do you want to hear a joke? It’s really funny. You’re going to laugh a lot.
FEMALE CUSTOMER: Sure.
GALLAGHER: Okay, great! So Bill Gates is in a car with an electrical engineer, a mechanical engineer, and a, um, another type of engineer. And, um, the car breaks down. So they need to fix it. So the, um, the electrical engineer suggests that, um, um, that they do something electrical. Maybe it was replacing the electrical system? Anyway, it didn’t work. So the, um, the mechanical engineer, he suggested they do something, um, mechanical? Maybe replacing the mechanical system? Do cars have mechanical systems? (looks at customer expectantly)
FEMALE CUSTOMER: Er, I don’t know. Probably?
GALLAGHER: Okay, well, that doesn’t work either anyway. So then the, um, the, um, the other enginer, he, um, suggest something to do with his specialty only I forget what it was. So that doesn’t work either, so it doesn’t matter. So then (giggles) So then Bill Gates says (giggles) Bill Gates says. Says. Um, I can’t remember the punchline. But it’s really funny! (remembers his duties as a salesman) Do you want to buy a used potty chair?
NOTE: I heard this joke probably fifteen years ago from someone who told it exactly as well as Gallagher does, only she remembered the punchline: “So then Bill Gates says “Why don’t we close all the windows, get out of the car, get back in again, and see if it works?’” (I never said it was a good punchline.)
Personally, I always remember the punchline, and that’s how I remember the setup. But then, I’m wired funny.
Rating: G
Dramatis Personae
Gallagher Newson, aged about nine, whose duties as the family sideshow include comedy and sales
Female customer, as described
Setting
The lot where the News on are squatting and hosting their sideshow for very little income indeed.
GALLAGHER (earnestly): Gee, Mrs. Lady, thank you for coming to our show! Wow!
FEMALE CUSTOMER: You’re welcome.
GALLAGHER: We work really hard on it. My brother Gavin’s been practicing the fiddle all the time.
(The customer winces as a particularly off-key screech comes from Gavin’s direction)
FEMALE CUSTOMER: Has he now?
GALLAGHER: Yeah! Hey, do you want to hear a joke? It’s really funny. You’re going to laugh a lot.
FEMALE CUSTOMER: Sure.
GALLAGHER: Okay, great! So Bill Gates is in a car with an electrical engineer, a mechanical engineer, and a, um, another type of engineer. And, um, the car breaks down. So they need to fix it. So the, um, the electrical engineer suggests that, um, um, that they do something electrical. Maybe it was replacing the electrical system? Anyway, it didn’t work. So the, um, the mechanical engineer, he suggested they do something, um, mechanical? Maybe replacing the mechanical system? Do cars have mechanical systems? (looks at customer expectantly)
FEMALE CUSTOMER: Er, I don’t know. Probably?
GALLAGHER: Okay, well, that doesn’t work either anyway. So then the, um, the, um, the other enginer, he, um, suggest something to do with his specialty only I forget what it was. So that doesn’t work either, so it doesn’t matter. So then (giggles) So then Bill Gates says (giggles) Bill Gates says. Says. Um, I can’t remember the punchline. But it’s really funny! (remembers his duties as a salesman) Do you want to buy a used potty chair?
NOTE: I heard this joke probably fifteen years ago from someone who told it exactly as well as Gallagher does, only she remembered the punchline: “So then Bill Gates says “Why don’t we close all the windows, get out of the car, get back in again, and see if it works?’” (I never said it was a good punchline.)
Personally, I always remember the punchline, and that’s how I remember the setup. But then, I’m wired funny.