Episode 36: Jokes

Here’s a joke: what’s the difference, between boogers and broccoli? Kids will eat the boogers. OK, that joke wasn’t funny, but on this edition of B-Side we bring you plenty of things that are. Originally aired in March 2005.

Liner Notes

Warm-up Guy: Ellen Horne
When you go to see a live taping of one of the late night talk shows, you have to wait in line for hours, then sit around waiting for the show to start. This doesn’t put an audience in much of a mood to laugh, so right before the show a warm-up guy comes out and gets people laughing. We meet the warm-up guy for Conan O’Brien.

Dad Humor: Dave Johns
Why do dads tell such bad jokes? Probably mostly because they can… because after all, they’re the dad, and everyone else in the family pretty much has to listen. Or maybe there’s some kind of evolutionary explanation for the dinner table ritual. Maybe telling bad jokes is a way for the breadwinner to ensure his kids don’t get too comfortable feeding at the family trough. Whatever the reason, there’s more than ample evidence to document the phenomenon.

Televisor: John Tynan
Jokes. Sometimes they back fire. Other times they fall flat. And occasionally they pass you by without even a hint that someone was trying to pull one over on you. You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “People will believe anything they see on TV.” In Phoenix, Arizona, there is a museum curator whose hobby, and trade, is exploring America’s gullibility around the idiot box.

Mortified: Rob Sachs
Sometimes the best humor is unintentional. B-Side contributor Rob Sachs found a producer of an LA-based comedy show based entirely on this premise.