# Humor that you don't get

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-that-you-dont-get/596744>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 18, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-that-you-dont-get/596744 "2011-09-18T21:03:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dontgetem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@dontgetem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dontgetem)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-that-you-dont-get/596744/1 "2011-09-18T21:03:35Z")

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Two monkeys are taking a bath together.  
One says, “Please pass the soap.”  
The other replies, “What, me? I’m not a typewriter!”

Can someone please explain this to me? I heard it in a meeting today and didn’t get it.

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-that-you-dont-get/596744/2 "2011-09-18T21:17:12Z")

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It’s only funny the second time you hear it.

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**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-that-you-dont-get/596744/3 "2011-09-18T21:19:39Z")

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I think it’s an example of this:

> **[No soap radio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_soap_radio)**
>
> "No soap radio" is a form of practical joke and an example of surreal comedy. The joke is a prank whereby the punch line has no relation to the body of the joke; but participants in the prank pretend otherwise. The effect is to either trick someone into laughing along as if they "get it" or to ridicule them for not understanding.
> The joke became popular in New York in the 1950s. The punch line is known for its use as a basic sociological and psychological experiment, specifically relating to mob...

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**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-that-you-dont-get/596744/4 "2011-09-18T22:13:59Z")

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It’s usually a joke that everyone’s in on, except perhaps you or someone else; to feign laughter, as if the punchline was brilliant, but it’s totally meaningless. It’s usually done as a form of mockery, to see if you’ll laugh just because everyone else is.

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**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-that-you-dont-get/596744/5 "2011-09-20T16:56:10Z")

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What did one ant say to the other in the bathtub?

“Pass the ketchup, my back itches.”

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**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humor-that-you-dont-get/596744/6 "2011-09-20T19:50:36Z")

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Those are the jokes that are funny only at 2 AM at a teen girl slumber party, or when completely drunk.  
~VOW