Reactions to Ben Benson Jr.’s most recent Facebook post ranged from anger to derision as friends and relatives realized that the comedy article he shared— “Joe Biden Swallows 46 Eggs” – consisted of only one joke, repeated endlessly over three paragraphs. Although the joke was sometimes rephrased with marginal details added, such as the size of the eggs or Joe’s favorite ice cream flavor, for the most part the entire article was an exposition of the marginally funny headline involving the former Vice President.  Even within the first paragraph the article felt forced, as if the writer was experiencing an off day.

“I was completely put off,” said Ben’s aunt Karen after reading through the entire 300-word article. “I thought by the second paragraph they might have made at least one fresh joke, but they just restated the same punch line again through a phony interview. Honestly I think the author could have tried a little harder.” She stressed that, although she understood the underlying humor of the article, she felt that the author often belabored the point, sometimes repeating the ideas of whole sentences in fresh context without adding anything new. Karen Benson went on to address the flaws in her nephew’s Facebook post, pondering aloud “I wonder if he even skimmed the thing.”

Although most discerning readers would have long since abandoned the bloated carcass that was once vaguely comical, the article concluded predictably by once again restating the same central theme from the headline. In its final paragraph it took on a more retrospective tone, presuming to sum up a page-long triumph of incoherency containing no more than two sentences of fresh information.  It ended with a whimper, having semi-successfully wasted five minutes of the reader’s time without building on the headline whatsoever.