Although most humans never say ‘no’ to a good joke, dad jokes belong to a somewhat entirely different category. More punny than actually funny, they offer absurd entertainment that takes cringe onto a whole new level. No wonder dad jokes have gained a cult following online with fans enjoying this comical sub-genre.
By combining second-hand embarrassment, dad jokes essentially have the same effect you experience while sitting at a family dinner and hearing your dad say something so cringeworthy that you feel like disappearing. But the fun part is that your dad is not simply immune to embarrassment, he is convinced of how hilarious his jokes are.
According to marketing expert and book author Alex Wong, better known as the “Hijack” Copywriter, dad jokes are popular because they’re cheesy but also clever and funny. “You can’t help but laugh. And then you hate yourself for laughing, which makes it even funnier.”
“They’re easy to tell and understand. You don’t need an elaborate setup or punchline for the joke to work. Most of them are just silly puns or wordplay,” he told Bored Panda and gave an example: “For example: ‘I used to hate facial hair, but then it grew on me.’”
“Lastly, the fact that the person telling the dad joke often knows how bad it is but doesn’t care, makes it so much better. It shows confidence and a carefree attitude, which is attractive. Most of us take ourselves too seriously, so it’s a good way to remind ourselves that it's OK to have some fun,” Wong explained.
In a previous interview with Bored Panda, Sophie Scott, the British neuroscientist and Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow at University College London, explained how and why we find particular jokes funny and others not so much. Scott’s research investigates the cognitive neuroscience of voices, speech, and laughter, particularly speech perception, speech production, vocal emotions, and human communication.
“The first thing you need to understand is the intended meaning that makes it funny. One simple thing about not getting a joke is not realizing that it's a joke at all, assuming that someone is being serious and saying something stupid,” Scott explained.
Moreover, in order to get the joke, you need to be receptive to the idea that it’s a joke. “It often has to do with as much as the person telling the joke or where the joke is coming from, as much as the content of a joke.”
Meanwhile, there exist different theories of humor and what makes things funny. Some theories claim that sometimes you laugh because it makes you feel better about yourself, you feel superior by telling the joke. Other theories say that you laugh because there’s some sort of complex setup and then it’s resolved and that’s part of getting the joke.
Another reason we find the joke funny may have to do with taboo which is totally acceptable when mentioned in a joking context. “Or often,” the professor continued, “we laugh because laughter is a behavior associated in humans and other mammals with play.”
