The Moth Joke

 

The Norm Macdonald "moth joke" is perfection. pic.twitter.com/daC9oPVPsU

— Lights, Camera, Pod (@LightsCameraPod) March 29, 2021

NOTE:  After posting this I listened to a podcast by Conan O'Brien who gave the backstory on the joke.  Norm had already done his bit on the show that night and was prepared to leave when, during the commercial break, he was asked to stay for another 7 minute segment because the next scheduled guest had backed out.  Norm had nothing prepared so what you hear in this segment is a short joke he first heard from Colin Quinn which consisted only of the opening and closing sentence.  Everything in between was improvised by McDonald.  Given Norm's reading interests he embarked on this Chekovian saga of Russian style melancholia and despair.