Eckstein tells Bored Panda “Nowadays, with so many avenues of media, so many TV channels, so many different shows and podcasts, and interests, someone can miss the reference being used in a joke easier than ever.”
He explains that our worlds have never been more different. Someone on the other side of the planet might curate a list of the most famous people in the world, and it’s possible he wouldn’t know any of them, and vice versa.
“We used to say humor is universal. That portion of comedy that everyone can understand and relate to is shrinking,” he adds.
Meanwhile, Olson suggests that sarcasm may be one of the culprits behind a joke going over people’s heads. In fact, she tells us that it’s “the main essence of humor.”
While trying to understand witticism, she says that education levels matter as well. And if you have to add “you had to be there,” chances are that your joke is not going to resonate with your audience.
On the other hand, Olson mentions that self-deprecating humor tends to be the one people find the easiest to understand. She illustrates this with an example: ‘I’m a hardworking person. Everything becomes harder when I’m working on it. I made a pallet last week from an old coffee table.’
She adds, “Gently teasing yourself ensures others can’t be the first to make fun of you and shows, ‘Hey! I’m a joke-making machine!’”
In his work, Eckstein occasionally tries to eliminate any language barriers that can interfere with humor by creating cartoons with no captions. “There are certainly also age barriers," he adds. "This cartoon enclosed may be relatable only to those of a certain age group, but for many, it is all too relatable.”
We were also curious to know if it’s possible to improve one’s understanding of humor. Olsen says it can be difficult. “Sarcasm is a tough area for many. Especially if there are language barriers, age differences, or ethnic variations of those around. Sarcasm isn’t universal. If one has to say “Just kidding” or “That was a joke,” it’s time to switch your style for the group you’re with.”
However, it’s not impossible. To prove this, she kindly shared her son’s inspiring journey to humor. “One of our sons is on the autistic spectrum and used to laugh when others laughed. When it was realized he was mirroring, we worked to explain jokes in a broken-down method. Years later, he’s performing improv on stages. Taking the time to work at humor matters. It’s also how we learn from each other and about each other.”
