The summer I graduated from high school, I got the chance to make some “big bucks” working at a local factory. They only hired the “best of the best” students, apparently, and the pay for that time was great: about $13 per hour. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but I was making $3.15 per hour at my other job, so it seemed like a lot to me. Here’s what’s crazy: in the more than 30 years since then, minimum wage has only doubled. But that’s a topic for another day. The factory job was a nightmare, of course. These jobs are famously challenging and equally boring. I had to learn how to use new tools and then learn how to keep from losing my mind with boredom. Nowadays, with technology, people can probably listen to podcasts, audiobooks, or music while they do factory work, but back then, we couldn’t do any of that. So the lady in the joke below was struggling like I was struggling, and I definitely feel her pain. Enjoy this hilarious joke.
There is a factory in Northern Minnesota which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms.
Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 am.
The next day at 8:45 a.m. there is a knock at the Personnel Manager’s door. The foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee.
He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.
The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the two men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmos all over the factory floor and they’re really beginning to pile up.
At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmos. She has a roll of plush red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles.
The two men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo’s legs.
The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics, he pulls himself together and approaches Lena.
“I’m sorry,” he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, “but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday. Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles.”
I think she thought he said “testicles.” This is too funny.
