Vlad the Impala: A joke sacrificed to birth an internet phenomenon

[stephbg]

In this post I'd like to deconstruct (and thus ruin) a joke, and as a bonus briefly (ha!) analyse a lesson learned about shamelessly exploiting harnessing social media for fun and you've got to be kidding profit

Comments

[gemfyre]

In the meantime, I'd like to present you with this...

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=fanged+deer&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=xBy&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=tIUkT_XKH9CfiAf8ydzyBA&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1144&bih=665

[stephbg]

Just doesn't seem right. Must be how people felt about the platypus. Those wacky Victorian taxidermists.

[jennyblackford]

It's a very cute, funny poster/picture/joke thing, which I saw shared several times by several people on FB, and never twigged that it was the actual idea of one of my own *friends*. I'm impressed!

(Did you ever read the old sf story about the person researching jokes, who found that no human ever make one up, only heard and repeated them - and discovered that joking was an experiment being run on us by aliens?)

[shrydar]

(Yes! It was Jokester (1956), one of Asimov's Multivac short stories. Apparently puns are original, but they tend to elicit groans rather than laughter. Spoilers on Wikipedia).

[jennyblackford]

Ah, that would be it! Well identified!

[stephbg]

That would explain a great deal :-)

[shrydar]

Yes, tracking is nontrivial. Probably worth embedding a small signature or url somewhere in the image, however subtly; it's never going to stay tethered for long. Have you tried hunting for it with google image search to see where else it's been posted?

Thanks for the writeup :)

[stephbg]

It's made it to page 2 of search results :-)

[stephbg]

Up to page 1 of google image search (still just on VtI)

[leecetheartist]

I saw it and laughed delightedly. I didn't know it was yours.