Sol Lewitt created some pieces of conceptual art; it all reduced to the idea, and made hands-off installation kind of the fun part. Also, conservation: no problem. Here’s some of these pieces.

You can kind of do the same thing with humor; pick out something commonplace, or already established, which isn’t necessarily funny. And then frame that in terms of something totally different. For example, LINES FROM THE PRINCESS BRIDE THAT DOUBLE AS COMMENTS ON FRESHMAN COMPOSITION PAPERS:

• “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
• “At a time like this that’s all you can think to say?”
• “Nonsense. You’re only saying that because no one ever has.”
• “I don’t think I’m quite familiar with that phrase.”
• “I would not say such things if I were you!”
• “I do not suppose you could speed things up?”
• “Skip to the end!”
• “That is the sound of ultimate suffering.”
• “Inconceivable!”

The funny part is the title. The actual text we’ve heard several times before, but slap on a new title, and it takes on a whole new life.

I dunno, same thing?

P.S. Peter, WTF is that ticker? It’s not 1997 anymore, you know.