Your MOM goes to college!
There was a boy I once knew, my interactions with whom often took this form:
"Hi, Daniel."
"Hi."
"What's up?"
"Nothing." He would look down, scowling.
"Are you okay?"
At this point in the conversation he would bug out his eyes and fling his head over his shoulder like he was a surprised vampire, teeth bared. He would then hiss, "Your mom!" and retreat.
It was a quite a show stopper, I'll give him that. The sheer unexpected and unrelated nature of the response made it brilliant, and I had absolutely no inclination to pursue my line of questioning. When used sparingly and timed expertly, a well placed "your mom" can be quite effective.
This is why the rise in ill-timed, recurrent "your mom" jokes causes me such chagrin. The "your mom" joke does not necessarily have to be funny, even, if it makes up for it by being squirm-worthy, or at least by making sense. People are slowly discovering that not absolutely every sentence can be followed by "Your mom!" to comedic effect. Perhaps too slowly, because these conversations still take place:
"I'm going to college."
"Your MOM goes to college!"
"Well, she went to college. So anyway, I was thinking-"
"Your MOM was thinking...last night!"
"What?"
These trigger happy compatriots of mine, however, have unintentionally caused some great moments, despite themselves. Last night at dinner, for example:
(Kate drops her spaghetti) "Damn it!"
Me: "It's okay, not everyone has great dexeterity."
Boy: "Your mom said that last night."
Pregnant pause.
"Wait!"
The moments of joy that I have come across because of pre-emptive "your mom"ing have been few, however. On the whole, I am beginning to feel like what was once becoming a low-humor art form has degenerated into just plain low humor. I therefore encourage everyone: bide your time, the perfect "your mom" joke is there, if you wait for it. People are setting themselves up for it all the time, if you only give them time. And in terms of timing: exercise good timing; interrupting people to insert your retort doesn't make it any funnier, but a little pause does. See the following:
(Upon observing Katie making a flower with her tongue) BK: "That's amazing, I've never seen anyone do that with their tongue before."
Katie: "You know, that's funny."
BK: "Why?"
Katie: "Because your mom said exactly the same thing last night."
Zing!
"Hi, Daniel."
"Hi."
"What's up?"
"Nothing." He would look down, scowling.
"Are you okay?"
At this point in the conversation he would bug out his eyes and fling his head over his shoulder like he was a surprised vampire, teeth bared. He would then hiss, "Your mom!" and retreat.
It was a quite a show stopper, I'll give him that. The sheer unexpected and unrelated nature of the response made it brilliant, and I had absolutely no inclination to pursue my line of questioning. When used sparingly and timed expertly, a well placed "your mom" can be quite effective.
This is why the rise in ill-timed, recurrent "your mom" jokes causes me such chagrin. The "your mom" joke does not necessarily have to be funny, even, if it makes up for it by being squirm-worthy, or at least by making sense. People are slowly discovering that not absolutely every sentence can be followed by "Your mom!" to comedic effect. Perhaps too slowly, because these conversations still take place:
"I'm going to college."
"Your MOM goes to college!"
"Well, she went to college. So anyway, I was thinking-"
"Your MOM was thinking...last night!"
"What?"
These trigger happy compatriots of mine, however, have unintentionally caused some great moments, despite themselves. Last night at dinner, for example:
(Kate drops her spaghetti) "Damn it!"
Me: "It's okay, not everyone has great dexeterity."
Boy: "Your mom said that last night."
Pregnant pause.
"Wait!"
The moments of joy that I have come across because of pre-emptive "your mom"ing have been few, however. On the whole, I am beginning to feel like what was once becoming a low-humor art form has degenerated into just plain low humor. I therefore encourage everyone: bide your time, the perfect "your mom" joke is there, if you wait for it. People are setting themselves up for it all the time, if you only give them time. And in terms of timing: exercise good timing; interrupting people to insert your retort doesn't make it any funnier, but a little pause does. See the following:
(Upon observing Katie making a flower with her tongue) BK: "That's amazing, I've never seen anyone do that with their tongue before."
Katie: "You know, that's funny."
BK: "Why?"
Katie: "Because your mom said exactly the same thing last night."
Zing!
posted by Meredith at 7:04 AM
3 Comments:
Your FACE goes to college!
LOL. Eloquently stated.
oh my gosh that was hysterical. but the "your mom" is all fun and games until you say it to someone whose mom has recently, say, died. which happened to a dear friend of mine last fall. oooo snap!
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