# Why does the The Walking Dead have no humour? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971 "2014-01-05T21:33:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/1 "2014-01-05T21:33:23Z")
TWD is a good show, very tense, but lacking in any humour. I noticed an accidental joke while reading the comic, and it then occurred to me that neither the show nor the comic ever have a wisecrack or a funny comment. I know that in a zombie apocalypse I’d be cracking jokes. They virtually never do. Would that totally ruin the show? ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/2 "2014-01-05T21:50:03Z")
That would improve the show immensely. Give the characters a little more depth, the actors a little more to do. When you’re under pressure, humor helps vent it. I wouldn’t make it a non-stop giggle-fest, but some ribbing and joking in-between battles would be natural. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/3 "2014-01-05T21:56:18Z")
I thought it was funny for them to not pick a guy up on the road, and slow down to pick up his stuff on the way back after the zombies had eaten him. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/4 "2014-01-05T22:03:21Z")
Humor = tragedy + time. Give them more time, they have the tragedy nailed. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/5 "2014-01-05T22:09:32Z")
Because it would make the characters actually have to do something besides fuck up, emote and do product placement shots. But yes, I agree, a dash of real humor would greatly improve the show, which is so serious and unrelentingly grim as to be fairly called “leaden.” ---
**Author:** ![basset\_hound](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/basset_hound/32/1432_2.png) [@basset\_hound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/basset_hound)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/6 "2014-01-05T22:31:21Z")
While I don’t think the acting on The Walking Dead is as bad as some have opined, good comedy is much harder to write and/or perform than decent drama (even if it’s just for a line or two). It also might be too much of a temptation for the writers to use the laugh to relax the audience just prior to a big scare. I hate when that’s done in a movie – and a television episode doesn’t have any time to waste. I do think situational “inside jokes” between the characters (along with the audience) could be effective. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/7 "2014-01-05T23:27:49Z")
I love the show, but I do think they need a character like Sawyer from Lost, always ready to give some nickname or make some sarcastic remark about the situation. It really wouldn’t take much to make Darryl into that, methinks. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/8 "2014-01-06T01:28:55Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > TWD is a good show, very tense, but lacking in any humour. I noticed an accidental joke while reading the comic, and it then occurred to me that neither the show nor the comic ever have a wisecrack or a funny comment. What, you missed that bit in season one where they’re covering themselves in zombie guts and find out the guy they’re hacking up was an organ donor? You didn’t find that funny? OK, maybe not hilarious, but you’re actually expecting humor in a serious treatment of a zombie apocalypse? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/9 "2014-01-06T02:20:42Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > TWD is a good show, very tense, but lacking in any humour. > [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > When you’re under pressure, humor helps vent it. That may be the answer: the show’s producers don’t _want_ to vent the pressure or relieve the tension. > [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > I know that in a zombie apocalypse I’d be cracking jokes. > [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > some ribbing and joking in-between battles would be natural. But would it be? Joking and wisecracks between, or during, battles is something I associate with Hollywood combat, not real-life combat. A bit of googling suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder can knock out a person’s sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/10 "2014-01-06T02:41:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > But would it be? Joking and wisecracks between, or during, battles is something I associate with Hollywood combat, not real-life combat. Between, as in the weeks and months in-between their unnecessary, flailing, poorly prepared-for battles. If no one is friendly enough to have a laugh in all that time, I would question whether I’d accidentally sealed myself IN with the zombies by mistake. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That may be the answer: the show’s producers don’t want to vent the pressure or relieve the tension. They should not want season after season of constant pressure. They need variety, something to make those moments of fear and horror stand out in contrast. I don’t claim to be a great storyteller, but I would think this is something fairly basic to the craft. Still, this does not preclude their not wanting to ease the pressure. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/11 "2014-01-06T02:45:37Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > If no one is friendly enough to have a laugh in all that time, I would question whether I’d accidentally sealed myself IN with the zombies by mistake. That may be the point. I know I’ve encountered the theory (maybe here on the SDMB, maybe even in the show itself somewhere) that the “walking dead” the title refers to are actually the human characters. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/12 "2014-01-06T02:49:26Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That may be the point. I know I’ve encountered the theory (maybe here on the SDMB, maybe even in the show itself somewhere) that the “walking dead” the title refers to are actually the human characters. At the end of one of the issues of the book Rick says “WE are the walking dead!” ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/13 "2014-01-06T03:13:04Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That may be the point. I know I’ve encountered the theory (maybe here on the SDMB, maybe even in the show itself somewhere) that the “walking dead” the title refers to are actually the human characters. Point taken. I thought it referred to the infection they all carried which zombiefied them when they died, but I could be wrong, or it could have multiple meanings. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/14 "2014-01-06T09:01:30Z")
After they inject humor, they might try clothing people correctly. Oh, you’re fighting zombies? Have you thought of maybe at least wearing long-sleeved shirts? I want to see them run across a nerd living by himself in an air-conditioned house (powered by generator) wearing his Ren Faire quilted armor. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/15 "2014-01-06T16:30:13Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > After they inject humor, they might try clothing people correctly. Oh, you’re fighting zombies? Have you thought of maybe at least wearing long-sleeved shirts? > > I want to see them run across a nerd living by himself in an air-conditioned house (powered by generator) wearing his Ren Faire quilted armor. No kidding, I wear a thick leather jacket just to WATCH the show. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/16 "2014-01-06T16:52:00Z")
Wearing a thick leather jacket in Georgia during the summer when you have limited access to fresh water seems like a disaster waiting to happen. On the humor front, in this season, Michonne made a joke about not getting too close to Daryl for fear of getting fleas. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/17 "2014-01-06T16:56:07Z")
I get a lot of humor value out of how the writers try and out-gore each episode. I mean, come on guys. Some of the zombie killing scenes are just so over the top that I have to laugh. I know that the characters aren’t participating in the humor value the way we, as the audience, do, but it’s enough for me. I’ve never felt a lack of character-to-character humor was missing in the show. I pretty much like it the way it is. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/18 "2014-01-07T01:02:20Z")
They have plenty of bodily humours leaking out all over the place. That’s kind of close, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![flaming\_yawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@flaming\_yawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flaming_yawn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/19 "2014-01-07T16:41:26Z")
michonne also made a joke when her and carl went into the diner and she came out with a arts and craft cat, how she couldnt leave it behind… michonne the comic relief?😃 ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971/20 "2014-01-08T04:07:10Z")
There’s been some kidding around between Daryl and Carol. One scene I remember was when they were up on the perimeter of the prison and Carol asked Daryl if he wanted to fool around. He sort of laughed it off and said “come on, I"ll go down first” and she said “even better”. 🙂 Maybe not laugh out loud humor but I think it’s in there, especially in the slower episodes when they aren’t fighting for their lives. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-the-walking-dead-have-no-humour/677971.md?page=2)