Jokes

[captain_slinky]

Okay, see... the thing about JOKES? You're not really supposed to research them, because that kinda drains all the funny. Chickens very rarely cross the road unless found in undeveloped countries, a knock at the door isn't usually followed by a series of questions and answers unless you happen to be a shut-in paranoid, and Henny Youngman would actually be quite upset if somebody were to abduct his wife despite his repeated requests that somebody take her.

Comments

[teh-dirty-robot.livejournal.com]

Bullshit. Smart jokes are the funniest jokes.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Sure, smart jokes are good... but the funniest? Next time you're at a comedy club or humorous movie, look around you and see how many people are Googling to check the factual context of what the others are laughing at. i really don't think that the majority of people care if their humor is "Smart" or not! Just look at the Blue Collar Comedy Tour!

I actually can't think of any "Smart" humor right now... could you suggest a "Smart" joke for me so i can compare?

[teh-dirty-robot.livejournal.com]

If you consider the blue collar comedy tour as the pinnacle of humor, I can't help you. Maybe David Cross can.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Oh DEAR LORD no i don't consider them The Pinnacle, or even consider them to be funny beyond the occasional chuckle! What I'm saying is that despite your own personal opinion, "Smart" comedy isn't very popular or even necessarily funny. And "Smart' comedy is very rarely ever profitable.

David Cross has been in A LOT of really un-smart comedies, not the least of which being the live-action Alvin & The Chipmunks. And he did this because HE is smart, and he knows that Smart comedy doesn't put food on the table.

I still can't think of a "Smart" joke... can you? All hyperbole and snarkiness aside (and i really do hope you know that 98% of this is argument for the sake of argument)... I really can't think of a simple one-two smart JOKE.

[teh-dirty-robot.livejournal.com]

You can't think of a single thing that was smart and funny? Clever? How about subtle? Do you think that the episode of South Park where people cram food up their asses and crap out their mouths coincided with them talking about atheism just because they had a few more minutes to fill? Take nearly any episode of the Simpsons or Futurama and there will be base-humor jokes like people falling down the stairs and much funnier, much more clever jokes aimed at a more specific audience that will breeze right over the lowest common denominator who think 'football in the groin' is the height of humor. When I talk about smart jokes and dumb jokes, I am not saying people making jokes about the theory of relativity and atom smashing are the funniest people ever (though they could be!), I am saying that having the punchline be 'cock' or 'fart' or, thank you, Larry the Cable Guy, 'raghead' is lazy and cheap and panders toward those who wear anti-intellectualism as a badge of honor. The things you're referring to as jokes--knock-knock, chickens crossing the road, etc--aren't funny, either. Did your sense of humor park itself in the second grade?

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

So you can't think of any funny "Smart" jokes either, huh?

[teh-dirty-robot.livejournal.com]

Here's a choose-your-own-adventure answer:

1. Go back and read what I wrote and notice the examples I gave of places to find intelligent humor.
2. Learn that not all jokes are one-two, setup-punchline and many don't translate well yanked outside of context.
3. Fill your need to argue like a two year old with an actual two year old because I don't have the time to coddle your butthurt feelings about your lowbrow joke post not being funny. Or take it up with any of the OTHER people who ALSO thought it failed at being humorous. If only two out of five people thought it was a successful joke, arguing that it really is successful and we just don't get it isn't going to change anything.

Any one of those will suffice!

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Right, okay... yes you did show several examples of smart *humor*. And yes, not ALL jokes are one-two jokes... HOWEVER! I didn't ask for examples of smart Humor, nor did i claim that all jokes are one-two punchlines situations.

What i asked for is an example of a smart JOKE. In the context of the conversation, I assumed you would be smart enough to infer that i meant a smart one-two joke. i will never allow myself to make such an assumption of your intelligence again. My bad, there.

Even my Three-year-Old knows how this goes! When I ask her to point to the Blue Square, she doesn't point to the Red Cirlce and insist that not all shapes are blue. She knows that I meant to point to the Blue Square. It]'s really quite simple!

Regarding the Number 3... Brought it up with all the other people who didn't like the joke (both of them), one agreed it was a funny joke even if it was inaccurate, the other just dropped it because he's a reasonable person. Only you have had the stamina to keep-up an argument that you started in somebody else's journal - you read the joke, insulted me for thinking it was funny and continued to show exactly why you couldn't cut it as a stand-up - the things you think are funny are not funny to anybody but a very small percentage of the population. Some day they'll open a comedy club where chicks watching porn and eating erotic cake is the HEIGHT of sophisticated humor, but till then the rest of us will just go ahead and snicker at the dick and fart jokes :)

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Also, try watching Larry the Cable Guy some time NOT as the anti-intellectualism badge of honor guy, but instead watch it as a super-intellectual mockery of those who would wear the said anti-intellectual badge of honor. It's a HOOT, and every bit as subversive/clever/smart as the episode of South park you spoke of.

Humor is in the eye of the beholder I guess? I mean, just because The Unwashed Masses like the episode of South park because it has people pooping out their mouths, does that make it LESS intellectually funny?

[zachary-cole.livejournal.com]

This is insanity! Why is there an ongoing debate about jokes? And yes, I second the "Screw Googling" sentiment. Ruining humor with relentless fact-checking takes most of the joy out of life.