A guy needs to travel across the desert and the only way to get across this desert is by camel. He comes across a place that rents camels called A.B. Rent-a-Camel. He asks A.B., who runs the place, for a camel and A.B. says “follow me” and shows him to his camel. The man notices there’s a bag of bricks on the side of the camel but thinks nothing of it. A.B. says “before you leave you need to take the camel to the watering trough and have him drink, so the man does. He begins his journey and about halfway through his camel stops walking and sits down. The man tries slapping and yelling at the camel but nothing will make him move. Later in the day A.B. comes up on his camel and asks what happened. The man replies, “it just stoped”. A.B. asks “well did you brick him?”. The man says “what’s bricking?”. A.B. says “Well when the camel is drinking from the trough you take the two bricks from the bag and slam them against his nuts”. The man says “doesn’t that hurt?” and A.B. replies, “not if you keep your thumbs on the outside of the bricks.”

Informant Analysis: I first heard this joke from my father and it’s been one of my favorites to tell ever since. No matter what party you’re at or who is there, it’s sure to get a laugh from anyone. My father had lot’s of good jokes but this was definitely my favorite of them all.

My Analysis: This joke, passed down from the informant’s father, works as a way to connect and get people laughing together. The over-the-top punchline and ridiculous imagery use discomfort to catch people off guard and make the joke hit harder. The fake “bricking” technique is a funny twist on the kind of weird advice older generations pass down. It plays like a long-winded story that ends in a totally unexpected way, which is part of what makes it so memorable. More than just a joke, it shows how humor can be a way to share connection, surprise, and a little chaos.