A dad joke is a thin form of comedy that relies on puns and is most often uttered by fathers around their children. They lack the force of other forms of humour, like a cleverly crafted pun that breaches linguistic norms or a funny anecdote. Instead, they are merely meant to elicit a polite chuckle and perhaps some eye-rolls or groans.
Despite their low-brow status, these cringe-worthy jokes have become perversely popular and are even considered “cool” by some. This is largely due to the fact that, unlike other types of humour, these jokes do not require a high level of comedic performance or an advanced knowledge of humor. They are simply formulaic and easy to understand – making them the perfect joke for anyone to tell.
It might seem tempting to dismiss dad jokes as a sign that parents have a poor sense of humour, but this would be a mistake. Rather, when understood properly, these cheesy jokes reveal a surprising and complex set of dynamics. They also teach us a lot about not just how humor works but about the role of fathers in family life.
So, let’s take a closer look at what makes a dad joke a dad joke. A dad joke is a pun that violates some linguistic or social norms – for example, one that uses an unnecessarily long word to make up for a short word. However, not all puns are dad jokes – they must be intentionally uncool to qualify as such. bad dad jokes