Got it. No, what I say isn’t structured as a direct answer to a question.
If we heard the joke would it be clear why the target didn’t laugh?
If the target was asked about the joke afterwards would there be a good chance they would say it was funny?
Did part of what you said in the joke specifically direct them not to laugh?
If we knew what the target said that prompted the joke would that be any help in determining why the target didn’t laugh?
I doubt it.
Nope.
Yes. But if you didn’t, I’m pretty sure you could deduce it per your other question:
You say you insult your own intelligence.
Do you reference the target at all in your joke, either positively, negatively or by reference?
I don’t believe my comment references the target at all.
Even if it wasn’t a direct insult to the target, did it leave the target feeling embarrassed, insulted, angry, or otherwise upset?
Was politics involved somehow?
Was the statement made by the target that prompted the joke a statement about him/her self?
Was the statement made by the target that prompted the joke a statement about you?
Was the statement made by the target that prompted the joke a current conditions (e.g. boy is it cold)?
Was the statement made by the target that prompted the joke a general opinion (e.g. The Bulls are the best)?
Was the statement made by the target that prompted the joke a factual statement? (e.g. Tallahassee is the capital of Florida)?
Was the statement made by the target that prompted the joke an incorrect statement? (e.g. Vaccines cause Autism)?
I’d say so, yeah.
I don’t think so.
No.
No.
No.
No.
Strictly speaking, I guess it’s an incorrect statement of fact. But that feels really misleading.
Is the statement that prompts the joke something said sarcastically?
Did the joke point out the fallacy of the original statement?
Not as I understand sarcasm, no.
Not directly, no. But something in that direction gets implied.
Is the inciting statement about religion? Politics? Sports? Something about the speaker?
(I have one ready for after this gets answered.)
No to all.
No (except in the hyper-literal sense that they’re the one saying it).
Is the joke a literal interpretation of a not-so-literal pleasantry?
Not at all.
I gotta say, I’m at a complete loss here. Can someone summarize what we know so far?
Yeah, again, all apologies: I figured this was pretty weak as a ‘lateral’ puzzle, but also figured it’d get Twenty Questions’d pretty quick, for a reveal that I hoped would be interesting enough to justify a short amount of time spent on it. Which I guess wasn’t the case…
Four separate times now, I’ve had a guy say something to me — not about sports or religion, and not about him or me — and I’ve responded by saying something that I didn’t think he’d laugh at (and he hasn’t), but that I hoped bystanders would laugh at (and they have).
And my comment — which doesn’t involve sex or drugs or drinking — doesn’t directly or indirectly insult anyone except, arguably, me (specifically, my intelligence). And the guy I’m talking at could explain why folks other than him laughed; it required no prep on my part, no gestures and no props, and nothing from the recipient but the thing that he said.
I think that covers the essentials?
And you are saying the same thing each time?
Yes, I am.
so…What are you saying?