QUARANTINE HAS BEEN TOUGH ON EVERYONE, BUT IT'S BEEN
PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING FOR THE ELDERLY, MANY OF WHOM FIND
THEMSELVES ALONE AND UNABLE TO SEE THEIR FAMILIES.
WELL, THE STUDENTS AT ONE HIGH SCHOOL IN CALGARY HAD A
BEAUTIFUL IDEA TO HELP COMFORT THE ELDERLY COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S SO INSPIRING.
THEY SETUP A TELEPHONE HOTLINE FOR SENIORS TO CALL AND HEAR
JOKES RECORDED BY STUDENTS FROM ALL THE LOCAL SCHOOLS.
WITH THE HOPES OF BRINGING SOME CONNECTION AND A SMILE TO PEOPLE
FEELING LONESOME.
AND IT'S WORKING!
THE HOTLINE RECEIVES HUNDREDS OF CALLS AND JOKE SUBMISSIONS
DAILY, FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
HERE'S A SAMPLE OF A JUST A FEW OF THE JOKES:
>> WHY DID THE TEDDY BEAR SAY NO TO THE DESSERT?
BECAUSE HE WAS STUFFED.
>> WHY ARE KOALAS NOT ACTUALLY BEARS?
BECAUSE THEY LACK THE KOALA-FICATIONS.
>> WHAT DO YOU CALL A HEN THAT CAN COUNT HER OWN EGGS?
A MATH-MA-CHICKEN.
>> James: THOSE ARE GOOD JOKES.
EVERYONE AT THE SHOW THOUGHT THIS IDEA WAS SO
BRILLIANT, I WANTED TO BRING ON ONE OF THE TEACHERS WHO HELPED
LAUNCH THE HOTLINE, JAMIE ANDERSON, TO TELL US MORE ABOUT
IT.
JAMIE, WELCOME!
HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?
>> I'M HOLDING UP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I HAVEN'T GOT ON THE PART WHERE I'VE GIVEN MYSELF A BOWL CUT
YET, SO I THINK WE'RE STILL DOING OKAY SO FAR THIS
QUARANTINE.
>> James: YOU'RE STILL WINNING.
TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THIS HOTLINE.
I THINK IT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IDEA.
WHO THOUGHT OF IT AND HOW DID YOU EXECUTE IT SO QUICKLY?
>> WELL, THE CLASS I WAS IN HAD A VOLUNTEER PROJECT PLANNED.
SO A WEEK AWAY FROM DOING SPRING BREAK PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WE
HAD TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING QUICKLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS
CANCELED.
WE KNEW SENIORS ESPECIALLY WERE STRUGGLING, ESPECIALLY IN
CALGARY, SO WE DECIDED, FROM OUR HOMES, TO BRING THEM JOY DURING
THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
>> JAMES: HOW MANY CALLS ARE YOU GETTING?
UM.
>> 400 TO 500 A DAY WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, WHICH IS
REMARKABLE.
WE'RE HOPING TO HIT OUR 17,000 CALL MARK TODAY.
>> James: 17,000 CALLS IS INCREDIBLE.
IF PEOPLE WANT TO, HOW DO YOU GET THE JOKE RECORDINGS FOR THE
HOTLINE.
>> PEOPLE SUBMIT JOKES ON OUR WEB SITE AND WE RECORD FOR THEM,
OR WE HAVE GREAT FOLKS WHO RECORDED THEIR CHILDREN AT HOME
TELLING THEIR BEST JOKES AND THEY CAN SEND THEM TO THEIR
EMAIL AND WE'RE HAPPY TO POST THEM.
>> James: IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT IDEA AND WE WERE
INCREDIBLY INSPIRED BUT IT BUT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES.
JAMIE, WE'RE NOT ALONE RIGHT NOW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FRIEND
WHO WANTED TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS AND SEE IF HE COULD HELP.
THE LEGENDARY COMEDIAN BILLY CRYSTAL IS HERE RIGHT NOW.
BILLY, HOW ARE YOU?
>> GOOD!
HI, JAMES!
>> James: NICE TO SEE YOU.
BILLY, MEET JAMIE.
JAMIE, MEET BILLY.
>> HEY, JAMIE.
WHAT A GREAT THING YOU'RE DOING.
BEING A SENIOR MYSELF AND LONE SOME, THIS IS A GREAT THING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, I APPRECIATE IT.
>> James: BILLY, YOU HAVE A SIMILAR JOKE SET UP IN YOUR
HOUSE.
>> MY GRANDCHILDREN CALLED ME TO MAKE SURE I'M AWAKE AND THEY
USUALLY TELL ME FILTHY JOKES, BUT A DIFFERENT TIME NOW.
>> James: YOU KNOW CLEAN JOKES OF YOUR OWN, DON'T YOU, BILLY?
>> I DO.
JAMES, SINCE I WAS JUST GETTING READY TO NOT GO OUT, MAYBE COULD
I RECORD A FEW JOKES ON THE HOTLINE.
WOULD THAT BE OKAY?
>> THAT SOUNDS AWESOME.
WE HAVE BEEN LEAVING THE JOKES TO THE PROFESSIONALS, SO WE'RE
HAPPY TO HEARING SOMETHING FROM YOU.
>> James: BILLY, OVER TO YOU.
HI, EVERYBODY, THIS IS BILLY CRYSTAL.
GOOGLE ME.
FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE STUDENTS OF EVERY ACTIVE
SCHOOL IN CALGARY, I THINK IT'S GREAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND TO
ANYONE LISTENING, I THINK YOU'RE GREAT, TOO.
I SAID I THINK YOU'RE GREAT, TOO TOO!
( SHOUTING ) WHAT DID ONE HAT SAY TO THE
OTHER?
YOU WAIT HERE, I'LL GO ON A HEAD!
( LAUGHTER ) >> THAT'S GOOD.
ALL RIGHT.
NUMBER TWO.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE CLAUSTROPHOBIC ASTRONAUT?
ALL HE WANTED WAS A LITTLE MORE SPACE!
( LAUGHTER ) I NEED A DRUMMER!
I NEED A DRUMMER!
>> James: GUILLERMO, READY?
HOW DO YOU KEEP A A BIG FROM GETTING AWAY?
YOU PUT LOCKS ON IT!
WHAT DID THE ELEPHANT SAY TO THE MAN?
HEY, HOW DO YOU BREATHE THROUGH A TINY THING LIKE THAT?
( RIM SHOT ) >> James: THERE IT IS, BILLY
CRYSTAL!
>> OH, MY GOD!
THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYBODY!
I WISH YOU HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND IMMUNITY TO EVERYBODY AND PLEASE
LET ME KNOW, JAMES, WHEN I CAN EXPECT MY RESIDUAL CHECK.
>> James: BILLY, YOU'RE BREAKING UP!
LL TRIAL MY BEST.
A HUGE THANKS TO BILLY CRYSTAL, JAMIE ANDERSON AND THE STUDENTS
OF EVER ACTIVE SCHOOL.
THAT WAS THREE THINGS TO CHEER YOU UP.