# A Joke or Just Not Funny? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 24, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609 "2002-07-24T17:44:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/1 "2002-07-24T17:44:15Z")
I’m getting sick of a trend in MPSIMS: People are telling jokes, but they DON’T explain the joke, generating a bunch of puzzled responses. **Krusty** does this [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=127208) , but he’s by no means the only one. Yes, I didn’t understand it. Yes, it went right over my head (and I’m not the only one who didn’t). Yes, I’m getting pissed by this trend. And, once I got someone to explain the joke to me, yeah, it was very funny. Until then, it was as much not funny as if he’d posted thread titled “My Dog Has No Nose”, just to see the groans. And he’s by no means the only person who’s done this. And it isn’t sour grapes about the fact that I didn’t understand it, I’ve displayed a total lack of humour about this before, see [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=127208) . I wanna know, jokers, how exactly, it undermines the artistry of your humour to post a full explanation of the joke after your post? The first reason that would come to mind, if I didn’t consider the otherwise exemplary nature of the posters doing this, is that if you do, you won’t get the a puzzled reaction from other posters who are too thick to figure out the joke. Which, pretty much, is what the standard definition of not being funny is. (I was wondering if **Krusty** just wasn’t funny anymore in the other thread). I know the people doing this don’t have being unfunny as their intent, but intent doesn’t matter in this case. I think it’s just a habit, but it’s a habit it’s long past time to break. I’m NOT saying to stop these joke threads, they’re funny and humourous once you explain the joke, I’m just saying “Explain the joke in the OP so backward densoids with no sense of humour can be in on it.” Futile, prepared for being called a backward densoids. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/2 "2002-07-24T17:46:50Z")
CAN THIS PLEASE STOP? ALL OF THIS? PLEASE? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/3 "2002-07-24T17:50:24Z")
Futile you backward densoids Don’t you realize how much work it takes to write a successful, genuinely humorous joke? Here’s a hint: try it some time, and see how long it takes you. Of course, if you ever took the effort to write one of these jokes you’d know this. Until you do, you don’t get an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/4 "2002-07-24T17:50:27Z")
A parody of a thread about a parody of a thread. Hmm…seems like it should be funny, but somehow it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/5 "2002-07-24T17:50:41Z")
Hee hee hee. ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/6 "2002-07-24T17:51:43Z")
A parody thread about a thread about parodies. How stiflingly original and groundbreaking. :: yawn :: ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/7 "2002-07-24T17:52:38Z")
But…you kill the humor if you explain the joke. Dammit, there’s physics behind Moe poking Larry in the eyes…but it’s better to just watch it happen. ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/8 "2002-07-24T17:53:09Z")
**Ferrous** , get off my brain, willya? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/9 "2002-07-24T17:59:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zanshin \* > \*\*A parody thread about a thread about parodies. How stiflingly original and groundbreaking. > > :: yawn :: \*\* A complaint about a parody thread about a thread about parodies being unoriginal. How staggeringly original and groundbreaking. Like, not even first one in the thread. ::yawn:: ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/10 "2002-07-24T18:04:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Futile Gesture \* > \*\*::yawn:: \*\* Yawning’s so passé. ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/11 "2002-07-24T18:10:06Z")
Wow. Repeating my post, changing the wording somewhat. What an interesting… well, non-defense. Ain’t never seen that one before! Proves to me, **Futile Gesture** , that you’re living up to your username. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/12 "2002-07-24T18:16:02Z")
Perhaps a colorful metaphor is called for. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/13 "2002-07-24T18:24:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Wow. Repeating my post, changing the wording somewhat. What an interesting… well, non-defense. Ain’t never seen that one before! Proves to me, Futile Gesture, that you’re living up to your username. Wow. Opening up, re-reading and posting **again** to a thread you’ve already complained to have seen and heard all before. What an interesting… well, way to attain a whole new level of deja vu. Bet you’ve seen this one before too! Proves to me, **Zanshin** , that you’ve nothing better to do. ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/14 "2002-07-24T18:38:35Z")
Nope. Just proves I’m sick of unfunny parody threads. They’re becoming the 2002 SDMB equivalent of ‘all your base belong to us’. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/15 "2002-07-24T18:47:47Z")
Is posting in threads that make you sick the message board equivalent of bulimia? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/16 "2002-07-24T18:53:02Z")
**Zanshin** , you rule. Your parody of a curmudgeon is second to none! ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/17 "2002-07-24T19:21:27Z")
This is all some sort of parody, isn’t it? I’m so confused… ---
**Author:** ![Pink\_Pussycat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Pink\_Pussycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pink_Pussycat)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/18 "2002-07-24T19:32:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*Yawning’s so passé. \*\* I agree, barking would be better. Wait, did anyone get my joke or do I have to explain it? -pinky ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/19 "2002-07-24T20:19:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pink Pussycat \* > \*\* > > I agree, barking would be better. Wait, did anyone get my joke or do I have to explain it? > > -pinky \*\* Implying that people are too stupid to get your highbrow humor. That’s SO five minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609/20 "2002-07-25T03:47:52Z")
So this is a parody of a parody of a parody of a parody? Figuring out Greek mythological family trees is easier. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-joke-or-just-not-funny/120609.md?page=2)