Author: Joe Toplyn
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Joke About Huawei Stealing Secrets
The joke: The Justice Department is accusing Chinese telecommunications company Huawei of stealing U.S. trade secrets. Officials became suspicious when they saw Huawei banging on a trash can in their dugout. How I wrote it: This news item had appeared pretty prominently in the media for a few days so I wanted to write a…
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Joke About Pelosi’s Speech-Ripping
The joke: At the end of President Trump’s State of the Union address, Nancy Pelosi ripped his speech in half. Then she proposed expanding health care coverage to include pre-existing paper cuts. How I wrote it: I wanted to write about the speech-ripping because it grabbed my interest and got a lot of media coverage,…
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Joke About Apple Stores in China
The joke: Apple is temporarily closing its 42 stores in China because of the coronavirus. Now any Chinese citizen who wants an iPhone will have to ask their child to make them one. How I wrote it: I was attracted to this news item because it’s related to the coronavirus epidemic, a big story. I…
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Joke About the Grammy Nominations
The joke: A former Recording Academy official claims that the nominations for the Grammy Awards are “rigged.” The claim was immediately denied by the frontrunner for “Best New Artist,” Vladimir Putin. How I wrote it: This was a pretty big news story at the time, right before the Grammy Awards show, so I thought a…
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Joke About the Movie “Joker”
The joke: The movie “Joker” got 11 Oscar nominations. Hollywood insiders say it was the most votes cast for a deranged super-villain since the 2016 presidential election. How I wrote it: I focused on this news item because it was a pretty big story that I thought a lot of people would be interested in.…
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Joke About Harvey Weinstein’s Jury
The joke: Jury selection in Harvey Weinstein’s trial is now underway. Harvey invites women who would like to be on his jury to come up to his hotel room to discuss it over cocktails. How I wrote it: Harvey Weinstein’s legal problems are an excellent source of joke topics. Because he used to be a…
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Joke About Bernie Sanders’s Health
The joke: Two cardiologists declared that Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders is in good health. But this is odd. The doctors said he has a left ventricle and a far-left ventricle. How I wrote it: This news item caught my attention because health care has a lot of potentially useful associations and Bernie has a…
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Joke About the Founder of QVC
The joke: The founder of the television shopping network QVC died. He was 88, marked down from his regular age of 152. How I wrote it: This news item caught my eye because the QVC network and death each have a lot of potentially useful associations. But “death jokes,” although they’re a familiar format, can…
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Joke About the Articles of Impeachment
The joke: House Democrats haven’t sent the two articles of impeachment to the Senate yet. They say they’re waiting to add a third article so they can get free shipping. How I wrote it: This news item was one of the top stories of the day, so I wanted to write a joke about it.…