Hollywood against humour

'It is my major goal to suppress humour, which results in laughter, which releases bad stuff into our air.' So says Nobel Peace Prize bagger Al Gore. Or, to put it more accurately: so says today's spoof website purportedly reporting the tubby one.

In case you weren't aware, global warming has become the major issue of our times, and Senator Al Gore its most ardent campaigner. But, so says the site, Gore's next big target is not carbon emissions, but laughter. Apparently, when people laugh they release more CO2 than usual into the atmosphere.

Theoretically, The Simpsons could be causing more environmental harm than gas-guzzlers and bovine emissions combined. Conserve energy all you like, but remember, every time a syndicated Seinfeld re-runs another yard of polar ice cap dissolves.

So, Al wants to stop the humour and save the planet and he isn't the only one. Some concerned actors have set up 'HaHa', Hollywood Against Humorous America. Their mantra: 'Laughing is a crime against the environment.' And, as anyone who's watched Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller's latest flicks will know, they seem to be winning the war on humour.

World's silliest inventions

Here at Mini Bytes HQ, we've occasionally waved an exploratory antenna in the direction of weird inventions, bringing you some of the web's more entertaining creations. But none come close to the silliness pioneered by the Japanese.

Today's site details a catalogue of entrepreneurial misfires, which are ingenious in their stupidity, the type of gizmos that should never have progressed beyond beer mat doodle.

Consider the Babymop - a baby suit that doubles as a floor mop. The self explanatory 'noodle cooler' (or miniature fan to you and me) attaches to the eater's chopstick. Detachable Suction Cups are designed to prevent commuters falling over while dozing on subway trains and the all day toilet roll dispenser helmet dispenses toilet roll all day!

It seems there is no end to the inventiveness of the Japanese mind and no beginning to its usefulness. There's a reason why cockroach swatting slippers, portable zebra crossings and combined occidental-oriental footwear for men haven't made it to a shop near you. They are much better suited to the, kitchen bin than Dragons Den.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment