Relation Jokes

There are some things that Louis says that you never knew you were thinking before he said it. These jokes aren’t necessarily funny by themselves, but the crowd contextualizes them, they can kill. The problem is, sometimes Louis tries to land some of these jokes by either continuing a topic that he’s already talked about, or by forcing a joke that people don’t really relate to, and in these cases they don’t do very well. Let’s look at an example.

https://youtu.be/ji_FmR5lg3Y?t=3m48s

“‘I called American Airlines and I got a Pakistani lady... and she was in Pakistan. Only people near my fat, white body should have jobs!’ I’ll tell you what though, when I call American Airlines and get the Pakistani lady, I hang up and call again. I do! I’m gonna tell you honestly. And it’s not because I don’t like her, and it’s not because she doesn’t speak English, because she speaks way better than I do. She’s just a better person, it’s so clear.”

When Louis starts the Joke, imitating an average American with White People Problems, the joke does very well. Americans, sad as it is, can understand hanging up when you call American Airlines and get the Pakistani lady. He goes on to say she actually speaks great English, and that she’s a better person than he is. These jokes basically flop. I think it’s because people cannot connect to this, and most people haven’t consciously or unconsciously thought this before. I realize that the joke isn’t meant to be a showcase or a punchline, but I do think it was at least supposed to be a throwaway (a funny joke told in passing that you don’t stop talking after), and in a show run as tightly as Louis’, wasted time is not an option.