The Craigslist Mad Libs Project
Have you all heard of the Craigslist? It’s a useful classifieds site if you wanna sell or buy something, are looking for a job or apartment, shopping for a mate, etc. Craigslist can also be very entertaining since it’s an open mic to everyday freaks. If you’ve ever browsed the Best Of or tried to sell something on CL and received replies, I’m sure you know what I mean.
So for a while I’ve had this idea in my head to submit fake personals to CL and post any humorous replies here. But then I started thinking that it might be more fun if it’s somehow interactive for you folks, and that’s when the Mad Libs part of the idea popped into my head. Here’s how I see the “project” working:
Each round you guys give me words that I have to use in my Craigslist ad. You’re allowed to contribute one word (please be good to me — I have to actually be able to construct an ad out of this) and you won’t know what kind of ad I’ll place or in what city. Once I’ve closed the round from further submissions from you, I’ll do my best to create an ad using your suggestions. After I’ve placed the ad I’ll post it here and also include a link to it on CL. I’ll then post any exceptional replies (removing any personal information, of course) for your viewing pleasure. Rinse, repeat.
You’re also welcome to share interesting CL posts, tell us about experiences you’ve had with personals yourself, or suggest general content or ad types for me to use, although I won’t promise I will. Of course most of the success of The CLML Project will rely on the responses of the public, so we’ll see how it goes…
Ahh yes, Craig’s List… this should provide lots of chuckles.
My word is: Corkboard
Messenger
Adverb: warmly
Adjective: irascible
Also, it seems to me that you should pretend to know Craig personally. He runs a fine list.
I like the idea of pretending to know Craig personally…
My word is purple.
I’m not sure I understand this part. Someone explain?
It means you should pretend like you know who craig is from “craig”s list
my word is “funky”
How about: tissue paper!
Re: Knowing Craig, it should go something like this:
For sale:
One piece of warmly irascible messenger’s corkboard.
I’m sure you’ll all love it, and find that it is worth the $70 asking price, or an even exchange of purple tissue paper (by volume). Craig said that this would be the best place to put it. I’ve been helping him with this site for a few months, and I admit he knows his stuff. When he first talked about putting his List online, instead of using the billboard in the Men’s room at Stuckey’s, I told him it might not get much of a response. But, he was right.
So, Craig, instead of keeping the corkboard in place at Stuckey’s for all this stuff, I’m agreeing with you and putting it on your online list. We’ll see if it sells as well as you thought it might. Dunno, the thing is a little funky, I’m not sure who would want it.
Anyway, please e-mail me with questions or for pics. Or for an autograph by Craig himself.
- Mr. Belding
moist
I dunno, Seth’s is pretty good. Although I’m not buying his “irascible” placement. I think he gets bonus points for using Stucky’s though…
can I insert a phrase? if yes than use : “butterfly dresses”
if not, then use “butterflies”
If you would’ve drew this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Oldwife_Underwing_Unspread.jpg
I would’ve guessed moth, but you definately drew a butterfly and then a dress.
Anyway my new word is “thingy” because i don’t like funky any more
I can’t choose just one:
Parachute.
Nunchucks.
Razzmatazz.
Filibuster.
John George Peppers.
Popcorn.
Submarine.
Supercagifragilisticexpealidocious.
sans-a-belt
So is there a time limit on rounds? I seem to recall somebody writing your first entry for you, almost completely.
Yes, yes. I was thinking about it this weekend but I’ve just been too preoccupied by work. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel though so hopefully I’ll find time to entertain you all soon.
In the meantime you folks have to stand up and waste each other’s time. I do love being a distraction, but during the gaps when I’m lame or busy I charge you all with the task of overreacting to the world around you with offensive and often confusing rhetoric, and of course scouring the interweb for time killers to share. Make me proud. (Kevin, you can just talk about bears.)
But yes, unless I get some stragglers coming in very soon, this round is pretty much closed and I’ll get on with the submission. So you lurkers, let’s have your input on this round posthaste.
Okay folks, sorry for the long delay here. You need to remember though, I’m a master of conceptualization, and not so much follow-through… I will be much more speedy with these in the future.
So you all gave me a nice little list of words for my Mad Lib. Although not really on the list, I found Seth’s use of Stuckey’s amusing, so this whole ad sort of revolved around that. And since my location was Stuckey’s, I based my city on a real Stuckey’s location in Indiana. Hopefully that Craigslist community is active enough to get some play, but I think it’s still a humorous ad regardless.
Here are the words I used, as you listed above:
corkboard
messenger
irascible
purple
funky
tissue paper
moist
butterflies
sans-a-belt
parachute
The ad is posted here. After it’s been removed & no longer available I’ll go ahead & post the text here so we have it.
That was hilarious. I also sorta feel like it’s going to end up on fark.
OH my goodness. You did very well, young william. Very well. My only requirement now is that you distribute the replies promptly. I’ve been anticipating this.
Now I’m off to see if I can get this up on Fark.
OK, so I’m too impatient to wait 24 hours to post to Fark (new account delay), but I think that’d be a great idea to get more stories about what’s in the bag. Anybody got an account who could post this??
Here’s my headline, if you’re having trouble coming up with one of your own -
Not news: Man finds moist messenger bag containing cash, sundries in a Stuckey’s bathroom. Still Not News: Offers to return it to rightful owner. Fark: Owner must identify self by explaining the connection between Saved by the Bell, Drakkar Noir, Pol Pot and sans-a-belt slacks.
Seth, I think it’s almost funnier in your condensed form. That last sentence is making me giggle.
I don’t know anyone who has a Fark account. I think we’re all just lurkers. The ad has a 45-day shelf life so there’s plenty of time.
Here’s something Adam showed Stinky, who then shared w/ me…
In light of this, my fake craiglist ad seems to fall so short.
“I didn’t blame anyone for the loss of my legs – some Chinaman took them from me in Korea.”
-The Big Lebowski
Okay, kids. My Stuckey’s ad triggered no responses, but I honestly didn’t expect any from that one. No matter. It’s amusing enough to me to envision the confused looks on the faces of those who read it.
And now it’s time to start thinking about the next ad, so submit your word for ad number two. I’ll also take suggestions for what type of ad, subject matter, and locale, but I make no promises.
you should place the ad in a more popular city next time. And it needs a very clever title to catch one’s attention, maybe involving a cash amount. like “1,000$ for a pile of dirt”. I did once see a line that mentioned something about a free pile of dirt and that enough grabbed my attention to read it. The ad was some person literally asking for someone to clear his land of some pile of dirt.
Signs offering or wanting fill dirt isn’t at all uncommon, especially in the country.
Note: do not confuse fill dirt with Phil Dirt.
I don’t know what made me think of this, but on the way down to Athens there’s this rundown house in one of those sad little towns (Moxahala, Rendville, Redtown, they all run together…) that has “4 Sale” spray painted on the side of it. Definitely some fine advertising going on there.
Anyway, my word- glob (or blob)
patina
But I’m holding all the other good words until we get some feedback on this. I refuse to do any more minimal amount of work for no return. Columbus craigslist, or bust!
Just found an ad on Yahoo’s homepage entitled “Phoney ad leads to looting: A Craigslist hoax sends strangers rifeling through an Oregan man’s home”. If you can watch the video, please do because this guy’s home seems to be the outdoors… Bill, be very careful with your ad.
Okay, I’m gonna try this again, with or without your help. But really, give me some more words to use…
bailiwick
flustrated- with the “L”
I’ve been browsing around for a tractor and this ad cracks me up.
The words “very dangerous” and “homemade tractor” probably won’t make for a quick sale. But it would make one heck of a YouTube video if you combined it with a catchy theme song.
Set it to Yakety Sax – it makes everything funnier.
Behold – Yakety Shining
Bill, do you have a thread for funny things that really shouldn’t be? I think you do, but I can’t remember. And the search on your site is balls.
Stink, I don’t think anyone will disagree that everything is better set to that song. And sped up, I suppose. Nor will they deny that it calls for a sexy party.
And the only thread that comes to mind is the Why I May Yet Go To Hell thread. But hypothetical, humorous videos based on Craigslist ads fits here just as well, I suppose.
Oh, and in regard to the Shining vid, the best part is about 1/2 way through when Jack’s doing the “little pig” bit. That made me chuckle.
Yakety Trax?