"Comedian Don Hepner has 90 seconds to capture his audience. When the light turns green, they're gone.
The 60-something stand-up performs at a highway off-ramp traffic light in Davenport, Iowa. Motorists can buy a joke for 50 cents"
hello
good bye
needed a break from web divergence...this dude's jokes are awful but i suppose the reason the clip is interesting is because people are still laughing. Why. I mean if in the same situation, sitting in my car at a red light when an old guy offers a joke for some spare change. Why not? I hear a joke about a bath and a cow falling on a woman. I see myself laughing not at the joke but just to end the look of anticipation on the man's face. Our book (pg 10) cites a study that suggests we laugh not always because we feel genuine mirth but also to "induce" this emotion in others. Perhaps the people laugh to make a man out asking for money on the side of a highway feel better. I guess it just illustrates the importance of the behavior of laughter in our social interactions. I mean if you didn't laugh he would probably be offended. Its like you're obligated to laugh.
First thing I thought was, this "off-ramp comedian" is selling 50 cents for one joke and two for $1, was that the first joke? Guy should probably offer a deal and not just show that he can do basic addition.
Also, did he tell the same joke twice (milk bath)? You would think the news would have given the comedian more credit. The news has given me the impression that this guy's routine is telling the same three jokes all day.
I didn't necessarily like his jokes, but I like the idea. What better things do you have to do when sitting at a red light? I'd definitely give the man money to hear a lame joke because it's original. I have never seem an off-ramp comic before so i would probably even give him a tip.
He also looks like a generally nice guy with good intentions. I would not give money to a grungy man who likely will use his earnings to by cigarettes. Plus, 20 dollars an hour?! That's pretty impressive!
The man who is telling the jokes at the stoplight appears to be doing this more for the enjoyment because he was a standup comic than for the money. I agree with the above comment; I would much rather give somoeone a nice tip if they are doing it for this type of purpose. He's bringing a laughter to people who may need a little uplifting in their day to day activities.
I think that this is sort of cute. He's just an old man doing something that he loves to do and since he is older he can get away with doing something that's a little insane or eccentric because realistically seniors can do whatever they want to do. The only thing I wonder is whether people in their cars feel like they have to let him tell them a joke if they are waiting at the red light. Does anyone just keep their window rolled up and stay looking straight ahead? This relates a lot to the Reversal Theory because if a person is not in a joyful paratelic state, they are not going to think this man's cheesy one-liner jokes are funny. Similarly, I wonder if this makes the comedian a good amount of money because I'm sure people feel bad or generous a lot of the time and end up giving him more than just 50 cents or a dollar. My only question is does this stand up last through winter? And does he put in a normal eight hour work day?