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Some-Register-3901 t1_iuerdx0 wrote

Reply to comment by PhilipWaterford in My grandfather warned people that the Titanic would sink by Forged04

I think that this joke in general is "impossible". The Titanic movie came out in 1997. Assuming that it would make sense for a person to be on the Titanic, at an age where it would make sense to warn people about the sinking, but also possible for them to watch the movie is improbable to say the least. The Titanic sank in 1912, and if we assume that the subject of the joke was at least 12 at the time, that would mean that they would be at least 97 just to watch the premier of the movie. So yeah, impossible.

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PhilipWaterford t1_iuetzgc wrote

That's some serious thinking.

I was just going by my great-grandmother telling me stories of saying goodbye to a friend who sailed/died on the titanic and my nan is dead a long time now.

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icepyrox t1_iug3lax wrote

So I guess this is one of those jokes that works because you wouldn't have enough time to work out the impossibility before the punchline and therefore still laugh a t the ol switcharoo

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sorryibitmytongue t1_iugcy1l wrote

But the joke doesn’t actually say he was on the titanic. It works cos that’s what you assume it means at first, but after the reveal he was watching the film there’s no reason to think he was ever on the ship. I just assumed it meant he had learned about the historical event and went to the cinema to warn people.

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