Generating a story in the style of Norm Macdonald’s 2017 Netflix special, Hitler’s Dog, Gossip & Trickery , requires a specific blend of long-winded setup, baffling logic, and a punchline that often subverts the entire journey.

Watch Norm Macdonald: Hitler's Dog, Gossip & Trickery - Netflix

Like Norm’s bits on George Washington , it starts with a premise about human nature and devolves into a specific, absurd character.

It touches on the idea that we project human complexity onto things that are actually quite simple—like dogs or gossip.

Archibald’s heart jumps. He thinks, 'It worked! The birds! The wind! The gossip!' He leans in and says, 'So you heard? About the eye?'

And that’s the thing about gossip, you see. People think it’s this mystical force of nature, this grand trickery of the universe. But usually, it’s just a lady named Gladys seeing you act like a weirdo in the woods.

The "magical" explanation is replaced by a mundane, slightly embarrassing reality.