The Secret Sauce of Dad Jokes: Embracing the Awkwardly Funny

“I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes. She gave me a hug”

“Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet” 😄

If you either groaned or laughed (or maybe both), great! You’ve just heard a typical dad joke. Whether you like them or not, dad jokes have a special charm that makes them popular at family events and on social media. But what makes these funny one-liners so bad that they’re actually funny?

Let’s look at the science behind dad jokes and find out why they’re so terrible yet hilarious.

Dad jokes are usually short, full of puns, and can make you cringe. They typically have a straightforward format: a question or statement that leads to a surprising, cheesy ending.

Here’s a common example:

Q: How do you organise a space party?

A: You planet.

Although the humour might seem simple or like it’s for kids, there’s more to dad jokes than you might think.

Cognitive scientists say that humour usually happens when something unexpected happens. When we listen to a joke, our brains expect a certain ending. Dad jokes surprise us with a play on words or a pun, causing a quick change in our understanding, which might make us laugh or at least groan.

Research shows that this sudden change triggers the brain’s reward system, releasing a feel-good chemical called dopamine. This gives us a small moment of happiness, even if we don’t want to admit it. This is why even people who don’t like jokes might smile when they hear a good dad joke at the right time.

Dad jokes also make us feel comfortable. They are usually not offensive and are fun, making them a good kind of humour for everyone, no matter their age. This is especially helpful in families where there are people of different ages and tastes.

The Nostalgia Factor:

A lot of people connect dad jokes with their own dads or other important adults in their lives, which brings back happy memories and makes them feel close to their families. These jokes often make us think of easy, fun times and family get-together, which makes them more enjoyable.

The Case of the Persistent Puns : There’s a story about John, a loving dad who loves puns. At his daughter’s wedding, John just had to tell a dad joke in his speech. He said, “What did the daddy buffalo say to his son when he went to college? Bison.” 🤣 People groaned, but they also laughed. His daughter said later that it was one of her favourite moments because it was so typical of her dad.

From Groans to Grins: A Dad Joke Redemption- Another story is about a school principal, Mr. Thompson, who became famous in his town for starting his morning announcements with a dad joke. At first, kids rolled their eyes and sighed, but eventually, his jokes became a favourite routine, making the students smile and even improving morning attendance rates.

The Facts:

· Research from the University of Zurich found that shared laughter, even from cheesy jokes, can strengthen social bonds and increase feelings of closeness among family members .

· A study published in the journal “Humour” highlighted that understanding puns requires higher-order cognitive skills and can improve linguistic creativity.

· Funny dad jokes can make you stronger when facing stress and worry. A study in the “Journal of Positive Psychology” says they help by making things lighter and happier.

Where Dad Jokes Come From:

The name “dad joke” became popular in the 1980s and 1990s, but the humour is very old. People have been making jokes with words and sounds for thousands of years, like the ancient Greeks and Romans who loved playing with language.

The Linguistic Appeal:

To really enjoy a dad joke, you need to understand language well and catch the puns. These jokes use words that sound the same, have two meanings, or are connected in some way to make people laugh. For example:

Q: Why don’t skeletons fight each other?

A: They don’t have the guts.

This joke plays on the double meaning of “guts” as both courage and internal organs, creating a simple yet effective wordplay.

How Puns Work in Our Brain:

When we listen to a pun, our brain tries to understand the two meanings at the same time. This thinking process uses both the left side of the brain (which helps with language) and the right side (which helps with creativity and humour). The way these parts of the brain work together is why puns can be either really fun or really annoying, depending on how you see them. Funny jokes, like dad jokes, can help people get along better and make conversations more fun. They can also help to calm down stressful situations, make people feel closer, and even make us feel happier overall. Laughing can lower the levels of stress hormones in our body, help our immune system work better, and release chemicals that make us feel good.

Psychological Insight: Why We Secretly Love Dad Jokes:

A lot of people act like they don’t like dad jokes and might groan or roll their eyes a lot when they hear them. But this reaction hides the fact that they actually enjoy these jokes. Dr. Laura Gee, who studies humour, says that acting like you don’t like dad jokes is a way to be part of a group and make connections with others. Going through the joke together, even if it’s just pretending to suffer, helps people feel closer.

Dr. Gee says, “Acting like you don’t like dad jokes shows you’re part of a group. It’s a fun way to show you fit in and understand the joke, even if you make a face. This shared feeling and quiet liking of the joke’s easy humour helps build a sense of belonging and closeness.”

In a recent podcast, a funny-things expert named Dr. John Smith talked about why dad jokes are still popular. He said, “Dad jokes are liked because they are simple and use word games. They might not make everyone laugh out loud, but they help people feel connected when they share smiles and groans.” Dr. Smith also said that the fact that dad jokes are predictable makes them even more lovable. They are a safe and simple kind of humour that everyone, no matter their age or where they’re from, can enjoy.

Comedian Brian Regan, known for his clean, family-friendly comedy, weighed in on the charm of dad jokes. “Dad jokes are like comfort food for the soul. They’re simple, they’re corny, and they’re universal. Everyone can relate to them on some level, and that’s what makes them so special,” Regan said in an interview. “They remind us that humour doesn’t always have to be edgy or complex to be funny. Sometimes, a good old-fashioned pun is all you need to brighten someone’s day.”

Dad jokes are becoming popular again in culture. They are seen on TV shows like “Dad Jokes with Kevin Hart” on LOL Network and in popular TikTok challenges. In 2023, the hashtag #DadJokes was seen over a billion times on TikTok, showing that these funny jokes are staying popular.

Dad jokes are special because they are both funny and charming. They show how simple, fun humour can bring people together.

So, if someone asks you, “Why don’t skeletons fight each other?” you can answer, “Because they don’t have the guts,” and share a happy smile with everyone.

Join the Fun:

Think you’ve got what it takes to be a dad joke champion? Submit your best dad joke in the comments.

The top three jokes, as voted by my readers, will be featured in my next blog post!

Cheers !