Joke Wall Segment #1
The shot opened on a wall painted with all sorts of bright colors and shapes, the whole of which reflected a decidedly retro-hip aesthetic. One of the shapes, revealed to be a door, opened to reveal Maya, sporting a Goldie Hawn-esque pixie cut.
Maya (looking around a bit):
"Sempai? Sempai?"
At that cue, a door below Maya opened, and a somewhat-bored-looking Ritsuko poked out.
Ritsuko:
"Yes, Maya?"
Maya (looking down at her mentor):
"Say, what's a computer programmer's favorite 90s comedy movie?"
Ritsuko (arching an eyebrow):
"Don't know-what is it?"
Maya (a slight grin on her face):
"Reality Bytes!"
The studio audience laughed, while Ritsuko, un-amused, gives them a brief look, as if to say 'Seriously? That's funny?'.
Ritsuko (looking up at Maya):
"No offense Maya, but as an expert programmer myself, that joke really bytes."
The studio audience's laughter increased on hearing the chief scientist of NERV's reply, while Maya, feeling a bit sheepish, did her best imitation of the "Ah, Eto...Bleh" meme in response.
*Author's Note(s)*
Just as I did an updated take on the 'musical interlude' recurring gag from Freakazoid! for every several chapters of "NERV Freaks Out", I'm employing a similar tactic with "NERV Gets Smart", though again taking a page from Laugh-In. In this case, a tribute to that show's iconic 'joke wall' recurring bit, where the cast members (and guest stars) poked out of a psychedelically-painted wall to deliver quick jokes, some that land, some that don't.