I’m Funny, But Not That Funny

I just got a phone call from my brother, which is weird enough in and of itself. He’s never been a phone kind of person. However, the subject of our conversation was even weirder. Here it is:

Brother: Hey, I have a question for you.

Me: OK, what’s up? (Thinking it would probably be a parenting question)

Brother: I was trying to remember this joke you made once.

Me: Well, you know . . . I make a lot of jokes.

Brother: Oh, yeah, but this one was really funny. It was about specific heat capacity and Junior Mints.*

Me: I told a joke about specific heat capacity and Junior Mints? When was this? I mean, was it recently, because I’m pretty sure I would remember it if it had been recently.

Brother: Well, it was when I was in high school and you were in college.

Me: You mean, like 15 years ago?

Brother: Well . . . yeah.

Me: You are calling to ask me about a joke I made 15 years ago?

Brother: But it was really funny!! I remember giggling about it forever!

Me: You know . . . I can’t even think of something funny to say about specific heat capacity or Junior Mints right now. I seriously don’t remember what would have been funny about them 15 years ago.

Brother: Oh, come on! It was hilarious! We both laughed forever!

Me: Listen, now that I think about it, don’t you think it is more likely you told a joke about specific heat capacity and Junior Mints? I mean, you are more likely to be funny about scientific theories than I am. My humor tends toward the snarky, sarcastic, making-fun-of-people, stupidity-of-others genre.

Brother: No really . . . I think it has something to do with you dropping a Junior Mint in your boyfriend’s lap or something.

Me: Are you sure you are not thinking of that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer drops the Junior Mint?

Brother: What’s Seinfeld?

Me: Nevermind - it’s a TV show. Anyway, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t me.

Brother: Will you call me if you remember?

Me: Yeah, sure. Did you call Papa today?

Brother: No. Do you think he will remember the joke?

Me: No. Seriously, if I actually told that joke, I sincerely doubt I told it to our father and he remembers it 15 years later. No. Did you call him because it is his birthday today?

Brother: Oh, shit. I better do that.

Me: Yeah.

*I created this link to the Wikipedia article about Junior Mints because it was interesting, not because I think people don't know what Junior Mints are.