I was 10, I said a joke and it found its way to the show "Friends"

[FrostyBoy]

When I was 10, I was in Christchurch, New Zealand with a friend of mine, he started telling me all these "definition of pain" jokes, I was amused and tried to come up with my own with my superior, unbeatable creative mind, and I came up with this: "What's the definition of pain? "Jumping off the empire state building and landing on a bike with no seat".

So years pass, and I think about 1995 or 96, I am watching that stupid show "Friends" and I hear Ross spit out almost exactly the same joke.

Ross: Oh shoot, tomorrow’s not so good, I’m supposed to um, fall off the Empire State building and land on a bicycle with no seat. Sorry.

I was quite surprised to hear it, but nobody believed me.
Anyway, so much time has passed now, I begin to wonder if I am just dreaming it up in my head. So I decided to find the transcript, and lo and behold, I found it:

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/9151/307.htm

Search up "empire".


I never told that joke to anyone but my friend, which means he must have thought it was worth telling someone else, and so the joke travelled. But I would never have believed it would get so far.

[DRoseDARs]

You should sue for royalties.

[Asher]

I should sue him for having to endure that "joke".

[FrostyBoy]

I was 10

and I should have been more clear, its more of a 'definition of' kind of joke.

But i'm sure you're smart enough to have known this Asher.

[Ninot]

Originally posted by Sn00py
I was 10

Says something about the quality of Friends

[Az]

that's a pretty awesome story, snoopy. don't mind the idiots around.

[Elok]

Whatever gains you would reap from such a lawsuit would be negated by the deep, deep shame of being associated with "Friends" by the entire world. Not only for the obscure partial-responsibility for a single gag, but for admitting you were one of the many sad little people who kept that exercise in half-baked metrosexuality going for ten years. Don't do it.

EDIT: Er, this was in reference to the first reply.

[Sava]

friends is an awful show

[Dis]

Originally posted by Ninot


Says something about the quality of Friends

I actually liked that show.

[Mercator]

I have definitely heard this story before. You must have mentioned this before.

[Adrian Hon]

Yep. This surely has been posted to OT in the past.

[Dis]

it does seem vaguely familiar.

And in any case. It's not like the concept of that joke is that original that 2 people couldn't come up with it.

And pretty much all comedy is stole from each other as well. Watch those old 50's and 60's sitcoms. you'll see.

[Zkribbler]

Re: I was 10, I said a joke and it found its way to the show "Friends"

Originally posted by Sn00py
I never told that joke to anyone but my friend, which means he must have thought it was worth telling someone else, and so the joke travelled.

Or someone else could have thought up the same joke.

I remember once thinking up a great idea for a movie. I didn't tell anyone about it, and didn't even write the idea down anywhere. But a couple of weeks later, I turned on the TV to see my movie. It had been made years before I even thought up the idea.

[Dis]

that happens to me with music. sometimes I'll think up this great guitar riff which I'm certain has never been done. But I'll eventually hear a song with that riff in it.

Metallica- Frayed ends of sanity is one example of this. I thought of that riff before that album even came out.

you have to expect with this many people in the world, most ideas have been thought of once.

[FrostyBoy]

Originally posted by Elok
Whatever gains you would reap from such a lawsuit would be negated by the deep, deep shame of being associated with "Friends" by the entire world. Not only for the obscure partial-responsibility for a single gag, but for admitting you were one of the many sad little people who kept that exercise in half-baked metrosexuality going for ten years. Don't do it.

EDIT: Er, this was in reference to the first reply.

Well of course I would never do such a crazy thing, I am just simply saying that it amazes me that something I said when I was 10, travelled the world and made it to the sucky show Friends.