The One Dollar Joke Guy Goes Bi-Coastal and Back; A Street Performer You Should Know

Did you hear Monica Lewinsky is writing a book about her affair with Bill Clinton? It’s called 50 hairs of gray….Created by The One Dollar Joke Guy on September 21. 2012.

Well, it’s that time of year again; New Year’s. A time of revisited promises, broken resolutions made anew—this time with an even greater vehemence; a time to reflect, a time to regret, a time to collect, a time to remember, a time to reflect.

So, what does any of this have to do with the corny one-liner listed above? That corny one-liner  in a word is; inspiration. In 2011, Jason Schneider, lost his car and his home. Not winning propositions on either front; even less so in New York City. Things looked bleak, for the University of Pennsylvania graduate. But Jason is resourceful, he’s funny, and he’s determined. Add a huge dose of commitment and the work ethic of an ox, and we really have something. So in response to his circumstances, he fashioned a sign on poster board, with the clear message: $1 Jokes: Laughter Guaranteed, and began trolling Central Park, for opportunities give a chuckle and make a buck. He even offered refunds! He vowed to write six new jokes a day, so that ‘regulars’ wouldn’t get bored. Each morning at around 6a.m., he hit his local Starbucks, poring over news events of the day, and hammered out those six new jokes, usually many more, but six that he was willing to deliver in the park. Some of them were good, and I’m sure some of them were not. After six hours of hammering out his one-line humor at the mighty Buck, he would head to the park, sign in hand, ego on shelf and dive in, telling jokes to tourists, natives and anyone who would stop and give a listen.

That was over a year ago, and hundreds of thousands of jokes later—because yes, Jason kept his vow, and new jokes flow forth daily. He has traveled from New York to Santa Monica and back again, crisscrossing the country, like a true Dharma Bum.

This year, 2012, as we were strolling along the Santa Monica Promenade, we were delighted to see Jason, shoveling out the one liners to passersby. A lot has happened in the past year. He is now a contributing writer to Saturday Night Live Weekend Update and 12 Street Jump on NPR. A New York Daily News article about him, led to interviews, radio spots and television appearances, across the globe. And now, when you see Jason—The One Dollar Joke Guy, you can also purchase for $10.00 a collection of his jokes in book form. He humbly titles it, The Best Joke Book You’ve Ever Read. Or, you can visit him online, where you can purchase the book and sign up to receive a joke delivered right to your inbox each week.

So, what of the book? It has over 250 original jokes, which he deems appropriate for 13+ years of age. Unlike some joke books that have a few hits among a lot of misses, this is not one of those. It is filled with many more hits. It helps to know about current events and pop culture, to get the most out of the jokes, which we can expect from a comedian who lists Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock as inspirations. This is the sort of book that will delight the cornball in any of us, and that kids will get a kick out of sharing. The language is tame, meaning no cussing or sex talk; well except maybe this one: Did you hear Mayor Bloomberg wants mothers to breastfeed their babies? So now Big Gulps are OK….Created 7/30/2012

To connect with Jason, visit him at his site: One Dollar Joke Guy.