Genesis of a Political Joke: 'Going Rogaine'

It is the joke told by Sarah Palin on Saturday at the Gridiron Club that has spread far and wide. It was featured by many websites and news outlets including Politico and U.S. News & World Report. Here is how the Associated Press reported the joke:

Palin targeted her hosts, Democrats and Sen. John McCain's campaign staff, as well as herself.

If the election had turned out differently, she said, "I could be the one overseeing the signing of bailout checks and Vice President Biden could be on the road selling his book, 'Going Rogaine.'" Biden has sparse hair.

For your humble correspondent, the most fascinating thing about this joke was how it came into being. You see, it was born on my DUmmie FUnnies blog and the person who brought it to life was my DUFU "co-conspirator," Charles Henrickson. 

Here is how Charles explained the birth of the "Going Rogaine" joke at the Free Republic yesterday:

Sarah got that joke from . . . HERE, Free Republic. I had come up with the "Going Rogaine" line for part of a DUmmie FUnnies edition. DUFU reader Libloather went to the Palin book signing at Roanoke and passed it along to her, and she laughed and said she would use it. And she did! 

And this is the first appearance of that joke in the November 20 DUmmie FUnnies edition which featured Palin Madness Syndrome (PMS) on the left:

[I heard Joe Biden has a new book too. "Going Rogaine."]

Freeper Libloather who read that line in the Free Republic thread about that DUmmie FUnnies edition then passed it along to Sarah Palin herself as he explained what happened:

I just got back from meeting Sarah Palin in Roanoke. The couple in front of me were getting things signed and no one was saying a thing. I leaned over the end of the table and said, "Joe Biden has a book coming out soon." Sarah stopped writing and looked up at me. I then said, "It's called "Going Rogaine."

She CRACKED up laughing! I think her father, who was sitting next to her, enjoyed it too. She belts out, "That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!" She also mentioned that she's going to steal that one and make it appear as if she made it up on her own.

And now you know how a political joke was born. However, this is not the first time Henrickson's material has hit the national scene. Some of you might recall the unofficial theme song of the 2000 election fiasco in Florida called "The Palm Beach Pokey" which went viral on the Web and was played on radio stations all across the nation. Henrickson explained his authorship in November 2000 in his first posting on the Free Republic:

Hi, my name is Charlie Henrickson; I live in Affton, Missouri; and I'm the author of the "The Palm Beach Pokey." Glad to see that you like it! I wrote the song on Saturday the 11th, and posted it on a few lists. A group in the Twin Cities called the Splatter Sisters heard about it, and on Monday they recorded it. On Wednesday the song started getting airplay on some radio stations. By today it's getting heard on a lot more stations and all across the Internet.

To jog your memory, here is the first stanza of The Palm Beach Pokey:

You put your stylus in,
You put your stylus out,
You put your stylus in,
And you punch Buchanan out.
You do the Palm Beach Pokey
And you turn the count around,
That's what it's all about!

So there you have it. Charles Henrickson is possibly the best joke writer/song parodyist out there that you never heard of...until now. In my five year association with Lutheran pastor (LCMS) Henrickson on the DUmmie FUnnies I never fail to be amazed at both the speed and humor of his writings. And today was a perfect example. 

A little before 8:30 EST this morning I sent a request to Charles for a Copenhagen Conference theme song based on Wonderful Copenhagen as sung by Danny Kaye.  Just after noontime, he sent back "Warmerful Copenhagen." So follow the bouncing ball and everybody sing along!

Warmerful, warmerful Copenhagen
Climate gatekeepers in town
We will say it’s hot
Even when it’s not
We will pass the gas around

In warmerful, warmerful Copenhagen
Putting the foolish in fuel
Now I’m turning green
Getting sick, I mean
Singing Copenhagen
Warmerful, warmerful
Copenhagen is cool!

I flew on my private jet
To pay off my climate debt
Meeting Algore for cocktails today
And there he stands, waiting for me
With a welcome so warm if I pay

Warmerful, warmerful Copenhagen . . .

Warmerful, warmerful Copenhagen
Climate gatekeepers in town
We will say it’s hot
Even when it’s not
We will pass the gas around

In warmerful, warmerful Copenhagen
Putting the foolish in fuel
Now I’m turning green
Getting sick, I mean
Singing Copenhagen
Warmerful, warmerful
Copenhagen is cool!

So to give Sarah Palin credit, she stole the joke as she promised she would but she stole from the best!