Timothy McSweeney's Header Image

- - - -

Millard Kaufman's final novel has arrived!
Pick up Misadventure now—or, see what
you've missed out on thus far by picking up
both Bowl of Cherries and Misadventure
for 27% off the retail price.

- - - -

C O M E D I C   V A R I A T I O N S
O N
T H R E E   T H E M E S .


BY PAUL J. WILLIAMS

- - - -

CHEMISTRY SETS:

Jerry Seinfeld:
Can someone please explain to me the chemistry set? Did our parents want us to cause explosions or taste poison? Was this really a good idea?

Dennis Miller:
You get that chemistry set and suddenly the basement goes Krakatoa on you. You've got the davenport orbiting the exosphere like Skylab.

Chris Rock:
And you KNOW the first thing you thought about when you got the chemistry set: "I'm gonna blow some shit up!"

Tim Allen:
Ar Ar Ar Ar Explosions Ar Ar Ar.

Bill Cosby:
So I told the children, I said, "Yeeewww. Cannot. BLOW. Things up!"

- - - -

RODEO CLOWNS:

Jerry Seinfeld:
What's the deal with rodeo clowns? Whose idea was this? At some point, someone must have said, "Fellas, we've had a lot of guys killed by angry bulls. We need a way to distract them. So I'm thinking, what about — I'm just brainstorming here — clowns?"

Dennis Miller:
There's a smart vocational choice, huh? I think I should dress up like Bozo and divert the attention of twelve hundred pounds of enraged bovine. What, was that job as the bazooka target already filled?

Chris Rock:
Do we need any more proof that white people are CRAZIER than black people? How many black rodeo clowns you ever seen?

Tim Allen:
Ar Ar Ar Ar Rodeo Clowns Ar Ar Ar.

Bill Cosby:
So I told the children, I said, "Yeeewwww. Cannot become. A RODEO CLOWN!"

- - - -

GENOCIDE:

Jerry Seinfeld:
What's the deal with genocide? Is it really that important to make sure that you've rubbed out everybody?

Dennis Miller:
I don't want to get off on a rant here, but doesn't it seem like we throw around the term genocide an awful lot these days? You really should have to lose a significant portion of your ethnic population before you go and cry about it.

Chris Rock:
A white guy actually said that to me once, "Well, at least your people never went through genocide." Well, ain't I fucking grateful for small favors.

Tim Allen:
Ar Ar Ar Ar Genocide Ar Ar.

Bill Cosby:
So I told the children, I said, "Yeeewwwww. Cannot become. A GENOCIDE!"

 

 

OTHER McSWEENEY'S STORIES:
- - - -


A Brief History of the Sidewalk Sale By Paul Sopocy
I Am Number One By Mike Topp
Alternate Endings Featured On The DVD Re-Release Of The Night When You Saw Me, One Year Later By Michelle Orange
Artificial Beckett, Or, How I Used The Second Chapter Of "Murphy" To Befuddle My Ex-Girlfriend With Instant Messages By Chris Kaye
The Art of Conversation By Thom Marrion

- - - -

MAIN PAGE | ARCHIVES

- - - -



Memories of Amanda Davis

- - - -




Red dot denotes content that is new today.

Black dot denotes newish content.

- - - -



McSWEENEY'S STORE

SUBSCRIBE TO:
McSWEENEY'S
THE BELIEVER
WHOLPHIN

FUTURE McSWEENEY'S BOOKS

THE AMANDA DAVIS HIGHWIRE FICTION AWARD

INVITE A McSWEENEY'S AUTHOR TO SPEAK IN YOUR TOWN OR COLLEGE

THE BEST AMERICAN NONREQUIRED READING

McSWEENEY'S MONTHLY MAILING LIST

BOOKSTORES WITH A McSWEENEY'S DISPLAY

McSWEENEY'S-RELATED EVENTS AND VARIOUS TOUR DATES

ORDER INQUIRIES AND ADDRESS CHANGES

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
FOR BOOKS
FOR THE QUARTERLY
FOR THE WEBSITE
FOR WHOLPHIN

McSWEENEY'S INTERNSHIPS

CONTACT US

- - - -

LETTERS TO McSWEENEY'S

LISTS

McSWEENEY'S RECOMMENDS

REVIEWS OF NEW FOOD

TEDDY WAYNE'S UNPOPULAR PROVERBS

NON-ESSENTIAL MNEMONICS

SHORT IMAGINED MONOLOGUES

BITCHSLAP: A COLUMN ABOUT WOMEN AND FIGHTING

OPEN LETTERS TO PEOPLE OR ENTITIES WHO ARE UNLIKELY TO RESPOND

DISPATCHES FROM A GUY TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY
TO SELL A SONG IN NASHVILLE


GLOBAL WAR ON BEDBUGS: LETTERS FROM BEDBUG CITY

THE CONFLICTED EXISTENCE OF A FEMALE PORN WRITER

OH MY GAWD: A COLUMN ABOUT A TEENAGER NAVIGATING RELIGION

DISPATCHES FROM AN INDIAN CASINO

THE CONVERGENCES CONTEST

CHRIS WHITE ANSWERS PROFOUND
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS


REPORTS FROM THE PINBALL SCENE

LETTERS FROM THE HELLBOX

NOTES FROM AN AMATEUR SPECTATOR
AT AMATEUR MIXED MARTIAL ARTS FIGHTS


CONVERSATIONS AT A WARTIME CAFÉ

SARAH WALKER SHOWS YOU HOW

DISPATCHES FROM THE CAPITAL

SEAN MICHAELS LISTENS TO MUSIC IN MONTREAL

STAINED TEETH: A COLUMN ABOUT WINE

KEVIN DOLGIN TELLS YOU ABOUT PLACES YOU SHOULD GO IN EUROPE

LETTERS FROM AN EARTH BALL
TO, OR CONCERNING, SEAN HANNITY


E-MAILS SENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FLAG-FOOTBALL TEAM


JOHN MOE'S POP-SONG CORRESPONDENCES

INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERESTING OR UNUSUAL JOBS

FLIP: A COLUMN ABOUT SKATEBOARDING

DISPATCHES FROM A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN

EXCERPTS FROM THE PANORAMA

SOLUTIONS TO BENJAMIN TAUSIG'S
THREE-DEMENSIONAL CROSSWORD PUZZLE
IN THE SAN FRANCISCO PANORAMA


ABOUT A VERY BAD WIZARD

ABOUT THE WILD THINGS

ABOUT THE CONVALESCENT

ABOUT FEVER CHART

ABOUT GOD SAYS NO

ABOUT ZEITOUN

- - - -

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL