August 1, 2005

Every now and then, I come up with an idea for a joke that relies on the reader having obscure knowledge. I usually abandon those ideas, calling them "one-percenter" gags, because only one percent of the readers would get them. So they're not worth doing, right?

Well, I've now decided to take a different tac. Once in a while, I'll go ahead and make that one-percenter gag. Because if you're one of the people who get a one-percenter gag, it's all the funnier to you, because it's an area you weren't expecting a gag about. So when I'm going to pull a one-percenter on you, my poor tortured readers, I'll label it clearly as a warning and try to make a mor mainstream gag in there somewhere (like in panel two).

The explination of today's one-percenter:

"Yes Prime Minister" is a BBC comedy from the '70's about a fictional Prime Minister and his staff. One staffer was the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, and he was a right bastard. Sneaky and underhanded and played beautifully by Nigel Hawthorne. He was the one really running things.

"House of Cards" is the first of three BBC mini-series productions about a scheming backstabbing bastard named Francis Urquhart, who starts out as the Chief Whip of Parliament, and connives his way to the top.

I really would love to see Urquhart vs. Appleby. And anyone who has seen both would too, I bet.

-ATW