The Story With the Charmin -- Photo of the Week 20 Oct 2008

A quick, secondhand story that kills me every time, and demonstrates the power of what my group of friends has come to term "the one-liner." Admittedly, I haven't actually heard this story directly from the horse's mouth (where did this idiom come from?), so the story could have gained stature of its own over time.

When he was younger, my Mission President worked security at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. One night, a man was harassing a couple, waving anti-Mormon literature at them, and becoming quite animated. My Mission President approached the man, stated that he was on private property, and told him that he should leave. The man waved some pamphlets in his face and yelled: "What do you think of this?!? What do you think of this??"

Without missing a beat, my Mission President calmly replied: "I prefer Charmin."

"What??"

"I prefer Charmin. It's softer and gentler on my butt."

The man stormed off in a rage.