Three Wise Guys

Check out Darcy Pattison’s post today. Her analysis of We Three Kings as a model for telling an effective story is positively brilliant.

Perhaps unfortunately, it got me thinking ...

The well-worn parody of We Three Kings can be viewed as a model for writing humor. So, with apologies in advance for taking the sublime and turning it ridiculous, here I go.

We three kings of Orient are
The setup gives a frame of reference. The audience may not yet realize a joke is about to be told.

Trying to smoke a rubber cigar.
By now it's clear a joke is in progress. Rubber cigars are funny. The rhyme is unexpected and humorous. People often laugh at impropriety.

It was loaded.
The build up.

It exploded.
The payoff.

We three kings of Orient were.
This line is a callback to the setup. The song’s minor key makes it particularly effective.

And that’s it. The joke doesn’t drag on. In comedy, timing is everything.