Within the Unfunny Joke Lurks The Hilarious Despair


The Angst-Jöken.

It is the joke form which both recognizes and embraces the madness and futility of being. It is the joke where we find that it is precisely by avoiding the joke that we reveal the suffering that is hilarity.

You indeed face the gaping chasm of despair, the total obliteration of meaning. Yet in the horror that underscores your understanding of the very utter blackity emptiness of the universe, you see that the substance of nothingness is but a black chalkboard, upon which you still have a broken piece of wet chalk, to write, screeching:

Behold The Angst-Jöken!

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Friday, September 13, 2013

Ut Get Fortunatos

A Cowboy, his friend the Robot, and the Pope are arguing about Vatican II in Karaoke bar in a strip mall in Nevada.  Suddenly, two big scary-looking guys burst in the room and head straight for the Robot, who accesses his memory of extensive gambling debts, and executes panic.exe, spinning his head and waving his rubbery robot arms wildly around.  The big guys approach the table as the cowboy, realizing the Robot is a hapless Jets fan, reaches for his six-shooter.  It looks bad.  But the Pope rises to his full height with great dignity, and bids the men welcome.  Cowed by the Pope, the big guys sit down uncertainly, their fingers on triggers, the Robot's fan squeaking, the Cowboy's steely eyes drilling into their faces with deadly scrutiny.  The air is still and it is hot, and menthol smoke hangs like a curtain.  

Then some bridesmaids go onstage and start singing Daft Punk's "Get Lucky." "Oh, I love this song," says the Pope.  "Let us all listen together awhile," says the Pope, smiling gently, tapping his shoe, making everyone hold hands. 
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