Coming to theaters in 2008: He was a man of peace. Trying to live a decent life on the mean streets of Eugene, Or. But the dominating elements of society [sic] just wouldn’t let him be. Sometimes they would point out of their car windows and laugh at his recumbent bicycle; sometimes they would make fun of him on the internet for writing an anguished several-hundred-word comment in response to an obviously unserious one-liner. Now one man must explain the nature of humour to an uncaring world, against - to judge by his prose style - seemingly insurmountable odds.

From the studio that brought you “My Feelings Are Hurt” and “You Can’t Say That About Jesus!“

But it’s not a funny joke when the subject of the joke is the person who is already living the real-life joke of almost being killed on the streets every day for trying to a do a decent thing by using leg muscles instead of oil.

No blood for tofu, man. No blood for tofu.

Hence the reason no one will allow me to run for governor.

I’m not sure what you’re hoping to achieve here, but your point has been taken and it’s time to let it all go. But, we’ll be in and out of the office tomorrow, so hopefully you catch us. In the mean time, take a chill pill.

And for the record, not all jokes are meant to be funny. How do we know what jokes are funny if there are not unfunny jokes to compare them to?

I will be on the UO campus on Wednesday for a meeting and if I have time I will try to stop by your office to see if we can briefly chat about the whole running over cyclist thing.

Josh

Just wanted to respond to your hilarious blog comment suggesting it’s funny to kill cyclists with cars. This comment could only come from someone who doesn’t ride their bike around town very often. So I’m wondering why you’d comment on something you know so little about.

I’m a cyclist and I am one of the most law abiding and safe cyclists I have seen out on the streets. Just the same, daily I am almost killed by inattentive, ignorant and sometimes malevolent motorists, due to no fault of my own. Are you saying that because some cyclists choose to risk their own safety by disobeying traffic laws, that they (and I, myself) should be run over and killed?

I understand it was a joke. But jokes are supposed to be funny.

Now, it’s not that there can’t be funny jokes about people being run over. I’m sure there are many. But it’s not a funny joke when the subject of the joke is the person who is already living the real-life joke of almost being killed on the streets every day for trying to a do a decent thing by using leg muscles instead of oil.

A truly funny joke would instead level the playing field of power and poke fun at the ones who are doing the running over, rather than the ones being crushed under the wheels. That would be a strong and courageous use of wit, to poke fun at the dominating elements of society (ie: car use), instead of just propping up the status quo, which the Commentator folks, for some strange reason, think is a worthwhile thing to do with their limited time on this Earth.

I am available if you want to explain to me in person why you think it’s funny for cyclists to be mangled.

Hope to hear back this time,

Josh