How long has this “joke” been around? Who was the first to use it?
It’s most often associated with Henny Youngman, but I don’t happen to know if he created it.
Wow. I just finished reading the Wikipedia article about Henny. I guess that answers that. I had figured the joke had a murkier history.
Now, perhaps a follow-up is in order:
How did it become the archetypical “bad standup joke”?