I’d Like An Ice-Cream Planet Myself

(My film studies class has been watching “Planet of the Apes.” The second day of the film, the teacher takes a few minutes to ask if anyone has questions about the movie or the notes we’ve been taking. One student voices a complaint:)

Student: “How come they ended up in a field? Weren’t they on a desert planet?”

Teacher: “Well, they thought they were on a desert planet, because they didn’t see any plant life, but they just happened to land in a desert.”

Student: “But that doesn’t make sense! Either they’re on a desert planet or on a living planet; you can’t have both!”

(By now, several other students are snickering.)

Teacher: “Well, what type of planet is Earth? Earth has deserts and fields, and polar regions–“

Student: “Earth is an Earth planet!”

(The entire classroom bursts out laughing. The teacher sighs, turns around, and pretends to write on the whiteboard.)

Teacher: “Today on Things Said in [Teacher]’s Class: ‘Earth is an Earth Planet.'”