In the unlikely event that readers did not notice the new heading for this blog, please look at it now. It's true – I now have two books for sale on the internet.
The radio show Can You Top This? ran on NBC from 1940 until 1954. As many as 6,000 jokes per week were submitted by the radio audience. Emcee Peter Donald read those selected to a panel of three comedians, “Senator” Edward Ford, Harry Hershfield and Joe Laurie, Jr. It was up to each of the three panelists to “top” Donald's joke with another on the same subject. Judgement was rendered by a “laugh meter,” which measured the reaction of the studio audience to each joke. Contestants whose jokes were used on the air received ten dollars; each time one of the panelist's jokes did not top Donald's joke, the contestant received an extra two dollars.
During one of the airings, one of the panelists made the statement, “There are only seven jokes.” Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate.
I have heard the statement repeated many times over the years, and no one ever knew what the seven jokes were. So I decided to do some research on the subject. The book, There Are Only Seven Jokes, is a record of what I discovered.
For any of my readers who may be on Facebook, you are invited to join the group, “There Are Only Seven Jokes.” If you have ever wondered about the seven jokes, this is the group where you can find answers.
The book also contains a collection of short stories which I have put together over the past 14 years. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them.
The radio show Can You Top This? ran on NBC from 1940 until 1954. As many as 6,000 jokes per week were submitted by the radio audience. Emcee Peter Donald read those selected to a panel of three comedians, “Senator” Edward Ford, Harry Hershfield and Joe Laurie, Jr. It was up to each of the three panelists to “top” Donald's joke with another on the same subject. Judgement was rendered by a “laugh meter,” which measured the reaction of the studio audience to each joke. Contestants whose jokes were used on the air received ten dollars; each time one of the panelist's jokes did not top Donald's joke, the contestant received an extra two dollars.
During one of the airings, one of the panelists made the statement, “There are only seven jokes.” Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate.
I have heard the statement repeated many times over the years, and no one ever knew what the seven jokes were. So I decided to do some research on the subject. The book, There Are Only Seven Jokes, is a record of what I discovered.
For any of my readers who may be on Facebook, you are invited to join the group, “There Are Only Seven Jokes.” If you have ever wondered about the seven jokes, this is the group where you can find answers.
The book also contains a collection of short stories which I have put together over the past 14 years. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them.
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Both books are available in paperback. “The Spirit Runs Through It” is also available on Kindle.
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