CBS/Associated Press try (and fail) with the funny

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on August 12th, 2011

Who can resist clicking on a headline like “Playboy Playmate Shanna McLaughlin arrested in Fla. on gun charge.” Doing so brings you to CBSNews.com’s Crimesider, where we find a short piece by Casey Glynn on the arrest of the bumbling gun-bunny who was found carrying a .45 revolver with six hollow-points through security at MCO!

What struck us about the piece was this line, in the middle:

Thank God she didn’t try to bring any hairspray or over 3.4 ounces of liquid!

That’s a real head-scratcher there. It’s an attempt at a joke, but it’s such an utter failure that we couldn’t let it pass without comment. (And what’s it doing in the middle of a straight news piece?) We marvel when amateurs attempt to write gags. And when we see a gag like this one, we try to dissect it, to see if it makes an kind of comedic sense, on any level.

After the “joke autopsy,” we try to ascertain the author’s intent.

In the case of the above line, we suspect that Glynn is all hopped up about airport security. And that he (she?) has watched all his/her colleagues make all manner of wicked, edgy jokes about the TSA. So, when the opportunity to crack wise about the much-maligned airport security guards arose, it was just too good to pass up! Add in the fact that there’s a gorgeous (and, you know, probably stoopid) Playboy bunny involved and there’s the potential for comedy gold!

Trouble is, the airport security and the TSA actually functioned as advertised! (And the allegedly dumb bunny actually has a concealed-carry license… so we’re inclined to believe her “it’s my boyfriend’s gun” story!)

Some folks think that merely switching elements of a story around makes for a good punchline. In this case, it makes for confusion and embarassment.

Appropriately enough, comedy is like a handgun. Handle it with care and respect and nobody gets hurt. Or leave it to the pros.

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