What's funny about this photo?
January 1, 2009 7:28 AM Subscribe
What's funny about this photo of two "motivational" posters?
I'm a big fan of Tofutti Break, but I can't for the life of me figure out what's funny about this. I'd rather not start the new year out by not getting a joke, so can anyone fill me in?
I'm a big fan of Tofutti Break, but I can't for the life of me figure out what's funny about this. I'd rather not start the new year out by not getting a joke, so can anyone fill me in?
You risk the world, but the result is that you can run vertically into the air.
posted by dunkadunc at 7:40 AM on January 1, 2009
posted by dunkadunc at 7:40 AM on January 1, 2009
Maybe the person who took the picture/made the thing didn't realize that there were really motivational posters like that because they're, like, 12 or something and have only seen the demotivational jokes online, saw the real ones in a store, and thought that the Successories people copied the joke to make real posters.
That would be my guess.
posted by phunniemee at 7:43 AM on January 1, 2009 [3 favorites]
That would be my guess.
posted by phunniemee at 7:43 AM on January 1, 2009 [3 favorites]
I could come up with a few possibilities, and I usually get just about anything, no matter how obscure. But I am clueless on this. It seems like anything there is to "get" isn't really funny, except in maybe an absurdist way, like "Oh, please, I really hope I can take risks and achieve greatness!"
It would be funny if you said this in an over-excited, mocking voice, spontaneously, while your friends were there. But in print... yeah, I don't really think you are missing anything.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:50 AM on January 1, 2009
It would be funny if you said this in an over-excited, mocking voice, spontaneously, while your friends were there. But in print... yeah, I don't really think you are missing anything.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:50 AM on January 1, 2009
Besides the previous comments, the only thing I can think of is that packaging for the posters makes it look almost like they're going up for sale at either a really cheap discount store, almost to the point that they look like they're going to be given away as prizes at the "Throw a dart, win a poster" booth at the carnival.
posted by drezdn at 7:59 AM on January 1, 2009
posted by drezdn at 7:59 AM on January 1, 2009
Maybe the vertical climbing thing? Meh, I think we can agree it's a lame joke.
posted by lunasol at 8:13 AM on January 1, 2009
posted by lunasol at 8:13 AM on January 1, 2009
Maybe the vertical climbing thing?
seconded. I think the photographer didn't notice the frame was standing on its side and thought it was trying to motivate people into attempting the impossible.
lame joke. lame lame joke.
posted by krautland at 8:34 AM on January 1, 2009
seconded. I think the photographer didn't notice the frame was standing on its side and thought it was trying to motivate people into attempting the impossible.
lame joke. lame lame joke.
posted by krautland at 8:34 AM on January 1, 2009
if you look carefully at the image, it was created at diy.despair.com; maybe the poster was really stoked about the possibility of having a custom Despair poster, and created the text as a test.
Alternatively, it could just be a snark at the Power of Positive Thinking nonsense to which motivational posters pander.
posted by scruss at 8:38 AM on January 1, 2009
Alternatively, it could just be a snark at the Power of Positive Thinking nonsense to which motivational posters pander.
posted by scruss at 8:38 AM on January 1, 2009
Those posters came about in the eighties and were a big part of the workplace kitsch of that decade along with people who wear red suspenders with a business suit. Having them still available for sale is funny in itself. Considering that most of the rest of the tofutti break site is about eighties kitsch, this seems the most probable.
posted by JJ86 at 9:08 AM on January 1, 2009
posted by JJ86 at 9:08 AM on January 1, 2009
I agree with JJ86. The rest of the site is all about the 80's kitsch and so looking at the poster on the right from that perspective, that jumping guy is wearing a pretty silly getup with the no shirt and skin-tight silver leotard striking a butt-tacular pose worthy of ren and stimpy. That's my guess. But, not really that funny.
posted by GleepGlop at 9:46 AM on January 1, 2009
posted by GleepGlop at 9:46 AM on January 1, 2009
Young folks who don't study their history, and thus don't know the origins of things, which causes them to find what we might consider prosaic or downright dull so hilarious in a naive, almost retardedly stupid way, causing the acids in the bodies of older folks to slowly burn through their stomach lining.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:58 AM on January 1, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:58 AM on January 1, 2009 [3 favorites]
It's not funny.
posted by mmoncur at 10:11 AM on January 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by mmoncur at 10:11 AM on January 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
Maybe the person who took the picture/made the thing didn't realize that there were really motivational posters like that because they're, like, 12 or something and have only seen the demotivational jokes online, saw the real ones in a store, and thought that the Successories people copied the joke to make real posters.
That would be my guess as well. Demotivators are a meme right now on the interwebs (they've become so prolific that they stopped being funny a while ago). It must be a shock to this person to see actual motivational posters from olden times before sarcasm was invented.
Even if you get the joke, it's not that funny.
posted by shoebox at 10:40 AM on January 1, 2009
That would be my guess as well. Demotivators are a meme right now on the interwebs (they've become so prolific that they stopped being funny a while ago). It must be a shock to this person to see actual motivational posters from olden times before sarcasm was invented.
Even if you get the joke, it's not that funny.
posted by shoebox at 10:40 AM on January 1, 2009
I want sooo much to post, "I can't believe you people don't get it."
But that would be wrong.
posted by dinger at 11:17 AM on January 1, 2009
But that would be wrong.
posted by dinger at 11:17 AM on January 1, 2009
Maybe the joke is on the person who made the demotivational poster out of the photo of the motivational posters? Like, Tofutti Break, simply by posting it, was saying "ha ha, this moron didn't know that motivational posters are real" ?
posted by lampoil at 12:33 PM on January 1, 2009
posted by lampoil at 12:33 PM on January 1, 2009
Only thing I can guess is that maybe the wrong poster says risk? I can't really tell what's in the picture on the left, but the one on the right doesn't really seem to make sense. Seems to me the man on the right is taking more of a risk and not really exemplifying achievement.
Just a guess.
posted by big open mouth at 1:03 PM on January 1, 2009
Just a guess.
posted by big open mouth at 1:03 PM on January 1, 2009
Best answer: Hi! I'm the person who took the original picture. This post got me laughing, so I went ahead and created a MeFi account, which I've been meaning to do for a long time. Thanks!
I hate to kill any hopes and/or dreams here, but it was an inside joke. I don't run Tofutti Break. The person who does created the image linked above. We were poking fun at a person who hates de/motivational posters and images. The original joke was that I purchased every framed poster in those stacks and would send them to him as a gift. He's well known for hating on de/motivational posters, so many were hoping (even praying, apparently) that it was true, which lead to the final product.
Thanks for the laughs. The idea that some kid would do and think some of the things suggested is sadly hilarious. Funny 'cause it's probably true. And thanks for the motivation (har!) to finally sign up for an account. :) See ya around!
posted by mobilechimp at 2:46 PM on January 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
I hate to kill any hopes and/or dreams here, but it was an inside joke. I don't run Tofutti Break. The person who does created the image linked above. We were poking fun at a person who hates de/motivational posters and images. The original joke was that I purchased every framed poster in those stacks and would send them to him as a gift. He's well known for hating on de/motivational posters, so many were hoping (even praying, apparently) that it was true, which lead to the final product.
Thanks for the laughs. The idea that some kid would do and think some of the things suggested is sadly hilarious. Funny 'cause it's probably true. And thanks for the motivation (har!) to finally sign up for an account. :) See ya around!
posted by mobilechimp at 2:46 PM on January 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
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Otherwise, I have nothing.
posted by Solomon at 7:39 AM on January 1, 2009