butter_fly
04.03.03, 22:16
THE WINNING JOKE
After much careful scrutiny, we are proud to announce our winning joke. This
joke received higher ratings than any other gag.
Drum roll…..
A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to
the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his
head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency
services. He gasps to the operator: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The
operator, in a calm soothing voice says: “Just take it easy. I can help.
First, let's make sure he's dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard.
The guy's voice comes back on the line. He says: “OK, now what?"
This winning joke was submitted by Gurpal Gosall, a 31 year old psychiatrist
from Manchester in the UK. He told LaughLab that:
"I like the joke as it makes people feel better, because it reminds them that
there is always someone out there who is doing something more stupid than
themselves."
?So why did the hunters joke perform so well? Dr
Richard Wiseman, the psychologist behind the LaughLab project, said:
"This joke is interesting because it works across many different countries,
appeals to men and women, and young and old alike. Many of the jokes
submitted received higher ratings from certain groups of people, but this one
had real universal appeal. Also, we find jokes funny for lots of different
reasons – they sometimes make us feel superior to others, reduce the
emotional impact of anxiety-provoking events, or surprise us because of some
kind of incongruity. The hunters joke contains all three elements – we feel
superior to the stupid hunter, realise the incongruity of him
misunderstanding the operator and the joke helps us to laugh about our
concerns about our own mortality."