This week: Bad Jokes Edited by: Robert Waltz  
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I don't mind making jokes, but I don't want to look like one.
—Marilyn Monroe
Everyone has a sense of humor. If you don't laugh at jokes, you probably laugh at opinions.
—Criss Jami
A joke is an epigram on the death of a feeling.
—Friedrich Nietzsche |
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You want your jokes to elicit a reaction.
Ideally, that reaction is laughter, or at least a smile. I generally have to settle for groans and thrown vegetables, but at least that's a reaction. An offended tirade is also a reaction, but hopefully that wasn't what you were going for (I covered that back in October, in "Sorry" ).
But the absolute worst thing, the nadir of a comedian's life, is when they tell a joke... and get no reaction whatsoever.
Now, some people think puns are bad jokes. Those people are wrong. My father always told me that a pun was the lowest form of humor (which is why you'll never catch me calling them "dad jokes"). No, puns require mental gymnastics and creativity. Like this oldie: "When is a door not a door? When it's ajar."
Try to think back to when you first heard or read that one. If you shook your head and/or put palm to face, that was a reaction.
No, what you want to avoid isn't wordplay; it's jokes that aren't jokes.
It's actually tough for me to come up with an example, but I'll try: "Why is a hat like underwear? Because you can wear them both on your head."
Bad. Terrible joke. Not funny. Don't do that.
But it's inevitable, when you make attempts at humor, that some of them are going to fall flat. This is embarrassing, especially if you're trying to impress someone with your wit. They'll be tempted to put you in the witless protection program.
Maybe it's just not a good joke, like my example. Maybe you told a joke about math to someone who just doesn't understand math. Or made a Star Wars reference in front of some benighted soul who had never seen the movies. Whatever it was, now everything's awkward.
What can you do? Well, you know the adage: when you've dug yourself into a hole, stop digging. Don't try to cover it with another joke; you're going to risk digging deeper. Dig deep enough, and they'll start kicking the dirt back into the hole, with you in it. Okay, so I strained that allegory past the point of usefulness, but my point stands.
I don't have an answer for it. It depends on the circumstances, and who you're talking to. But in general, a change of subject is called for. Ask them where they got their shirt; I don't know.
But don't take off your underwear and put it on your head. That's frowned upon in polite society. |
Some (hopefully) funny things:
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As there were no comments on my last newsletter, "New Year, Same Person" , I'll just assume it was perfect.
So that's it for me for now! See you in a month. Until then,
LAUGH ON!!!
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Comedy: January 31, 2024 Issue [#12387]
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