Azaa Battsogt

That wasn’t funny…

Uh oh! Here comes the joke police to tell people how to be funny or whatever. At least, that’s how I feel writing this. But my point isn’t actually to tell you what jokes you can or can’t make. I guess I really want to evaluate what makes a joke funny or not.

Recently, I have been funny. I’ve had a great streak of absolutely landing jokes. I’ve also been philosophical, due to the research I’ve been having to do for an English inquiry. So, obviously, when I’m funny and philosophical, I wonder what makes my jokes funny.

Have you ever told a joke so bad that it quiets an entire room? Or one so risky that people visibly cringe? Some people may say that amounts to “humor being subjective” or “dark humor”, but the truth is, you’re simply not funny.

Rude and negative jokes are not the core of real humor; they’re just a way to bring people down. Covering up an insult or an insensitive comment as a “joke” makes people feel bad and is not a way to be funny. 

I’m not saying that you can never tease your friends. I am mostly referring to the “jokes” that target a certain group of people and are used as an insult (like calling someone “gay” or “autistic”). Don’t even get me started on “dark humor.” How is joking about someone’s race or actual trauma supposed to make others laugh?

To me, the core of real humor is having the ability to understand the others around you, like reading the room. To be truly funny is to see who the people are around you and curate what you’re saying to them.

There is a balance, though.  You don’t want to have to contort yourself to every person you talk to just to be funny. There has to be a balance of reading the people around you and still being authentically you. 

There’s no one way to be funny; having a unique sense of humor is what makes someone stand out. And if you aren’t funny to the people you’re around, then you might be around the wrong people.

So, there it is: my conclusion of what makes a joke funny or not. The core of it is to read the room! I’ve had my fair share of jokes that have not landed well, and it’s just embarrassing for both ends. So please, remember my advice.