Have you ever cracked a joke, assuming that your audience understands that you’re being ironic or sarcastic, only to find out that many (or most) of them took the joke literally?
Dad jokes are always funny online. In fact, some of the best just don't work when spoken. Like a response to Grammar Nazis where you reply "There, Their, They're, it'll be OK."
I feel like the things I say are constantly misunderstood. Whether it’s jokes or just being proud of myself for something I’ve worked hard at, or my ridiculously bad grammar. Honestly, I don’t know if people really don’t understand me, or the desire to knock a woman down a peg who feels comfortable in her own skin is too great to resist.
Either way, I can’t please everyone and if someone has a question and they know me, then they know I’ll hold space for them and my heart is genuine. If they want to make a projection or fast assumption through their lens that is possibly incorrect without seeking to understand- I try to just let them. I can’t please everyone and I’m not here to be understood by everyone, just the ones that are meant for me. 💛
I feel this. I have to be myself, but I also have some obligation not to make the world a worse place. Language (and an audience) loads everything up with that potential, so I try to navigate somewhat cautiously. I do think it's different when you have a more intimate group of folks, though.
Misogyny is out there everywhere, and it could be some of what's going on, for sure. I face other issues along similar (but different) lines, too. At the same time, I myself don't want to fall into the trap of assuming I can't communicate more clearly. Language is, after all, a two way street!
That is true, and I too need to make sure I’m not being too lazy in how I communicate by assuming everyone knows I’m joking or that I just can’t spell or meant wouldn’t instead of would etc.. I do my best to edit, but life in the fast lane of managing kids does make me a bit more forgetful than I used to be. You bring up excellent points and it’s something we can all be a bit better at for sure. I’m not in a position of influence or the owner of a business. I can’t imagine the nuance you have to filter through daily, I don’t think I could do it very well at all.
It's tough, but you do tend to get better over time (being forced to tip toe definitely causes you to become proficient, or at least try to!). Life really does move fast, and (returning to the other side of the equation) I do find myself giving more and more folks the benefit of the doubt. I wish more folks would do this, but the reality is that most folks are not accustomed to that mindset.
I think, or for me, it comes with age and experience. Most people are doing their best and it’s truly not personal and when I can give the benefit of the doubt that I am probably not understanding something or someone not understanding me- it definitely leaves room for all the underlying context or nuance I could be missing. You’re doing great, Andrew! And you remind be that I could be doing a bit better to slow down and prevent unnecessary miscommunication. Glad I stopped in today. This was a good read.
"E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies!"
Great points. I find that text can become very tone agnostic and you end up someone's relying a lot on your assumptions of what you think people are usually like.
In real life when I was younger, my dad and I used to make the most absurd jokes and it would just fly so far over people's heads out mimicked the entirety of earth's atmosphere.
Their straight-faced reactions would make it all the more funny.
The live studio audience wasn't present for absolutely every piece- there was a great deal of material that was first filmed on location and then shown during the show. But having the audience was standard for comedy shows in both the U.S. and U.K. then- either an actual live audience or a laugh track culled from the response of earlier audiences.
It helped that they were all experienced performers. Graham Chapman, John Cleese and Eric Idle had been part of Cambridge University's dramatic society, The Footlights, and all of them had logged time performing and/or writing for British TV shows before they teamed up.
My sister's notorious. As an engagement present to her fiance, she had a coffee plunger engraved with, 'Through all life's ups and downs, never stop plunging me'. She never saw the innuendo. Everyone else did.
Sadly it's not you. The downside of the Internet is that you cannot take a position, no matter how absurd, that you can't find someone arguing earnestly in favor of it.
But at least when you do you get to use this clip!
I once read that putting an emoji or typing "jk" after a joke is a think folks over 35 do and the youngins tend to cringe. Like "yeah we know it's a joke". But I also feel that a ton of tone gets lost on social media... like how someone can get get upset and argumentative after reading something fairly innocuous. For instance, I could post "Elon Musk has no Ws in his name" and someone will likely have a strong opinion on what they presume o be my reasoning for sharing that. Also, I feel like my current cognitive deficits make me bad at picking up subtext and sarcasm for whatever reason. It doesn't help that I've always had a dry sense of humor so I often commit the same offense that gives me trouble. BUT THE RULES DON'T APPLY TO ME! lol.
See what I did there? Also, I don't remember my point.
Ha! I am the guy in the back of the room hurling smart ass comments at the speaker; I'm the guy at meetings who cracks jokes in the pauses and then looks around to see who's laughing. If I'm lucky maybe 10% gets a chuckle, less than 1% an actual laugh. I'm just trying to have fun, but jeesh so many people get torqued about it!😂
Not really...it makes me appreciate how hard stand-up comedians work, hitting clubs every night trying out material, changing it around, finally getting to a set that makes you laugh from beginning to end. It's hard work being funny! As for people who don't have a sense of humor..."I blow my nose at you! I wave my privates at your aunties you silly English king!"😂🤣😂🤣
Dad jokes are always funny online. In fact, some of the best just don't work when spoken. Like a response to Grammar Nazis where you reply "There, Their, They're, it'll be OK."
I feel like the things I say are constantly misunderstood. Whether it’s jokes or just being proud of myself for something I’ve worked hard at, or my ridiculously bad grammar. Honestly, I don’t know if people really don’t understand me, or the desire to knock a woman down a peg who feels comfortable in her own skin is too great to resist.
Either way, I can’t please everyone and if someone has a question and they know me, then they know I’ll hold space for them and my heart is genuine. If they want to make a projection or fast assumption through their lens that is possibly incorrect without seeking to understand- I try to just let them. I can’t please everyone and I’m not here to be understood by everyone, just the ones that are meant for me. 💛
I feel this. I have to be myself, but I also have some obligation not to make the world a worse place. Language (and an audience) loads everything up with that potential, so I try to navigate somewhat cautiously. I do think it's different when you have a more intimate group of folks, though.
Misogyny is out there everywhere, and it could be some of what's going on, for sure. I face other issues along similar (but different) lines, too. At the same time, I myself don't want to fall into the trap of assuming I can't communicate more clearly. Language is, after all, a two way street!
That is true, and I too need to make sure I’m not being too lazy in how I communicate by assuming everyone knows I’m joking or that I just can’t spell or meant wouldn’t instead of would etc.. I do my best to edit, but life in the fast lane of managing kids does make me a bit more forgetful than I used to be. You bring up excellent points and it’s something we can all be a bit better at for sure. I’m not in a position of influence or the owner of a business. I can’t imagine the nuance you have to filter through daily, I don’t think I could do it very well at all.
It's tough, but you do tend to get better over time (being forced to tip toe definitely causes you to become proficient, or at least try to!). Life really does move fast, and (returning to the other side of the equation) I do find myself giving more and more folks the benefit of the doubt. I wish more folks would do this, but the reality is that most folks are not accustomed to that mindset.
I think, or for me, it comes with age and experience. Most people are doing their best and it’s truly not personal and when I can give the benefit of the doubt that I am probably not understanding something or someone not understanding me- it definitely leaves room for all the underlying context or nuance I could be missing. You’re doing great, Andrew! And you remind be that I could be doing a bit better to slow down and prevent unnecessary miscommunication. Glad I stopped in today. This was a good read.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is my favorite. Absurdism is funny in general to me.
I think it's number one for me, too.
Me too - love that one.
I've resorted to absurdism more and more in real life lately. It's my favorite humor as well.
In fact, I have a rule for my writing that something impossibly absurd must happen in every article.
I also am a commonsewer of poop jokes!
Poop is near and dear to my shart.
Er, heart.
"E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies!"
They quoted this at Chapman's funeral, no kidding. <3
Great points. I find that text can become very tone agnostic and you end up someone's relying a lot on your assumptions of what you think people are usually like.
In real life when I was younger, my dad and I used to make the most absurd jokes and it would just fly so far over people's heads out mimicked the entirety of earth's atmosphere.
Their straight-faced reactions would make it all the more funny.
I miss those halcyon days!
Luckily, I never face such issues, because I never attempt something as silly and wasteful as humor in my posts or comments. I'm a serious man.
As for my favorite Monty Python sketch, it's probably this one: https://cdn.midjourney.com/43190199-6ed0-4019-bfd7-2c265acced04/0_2.png
That's not a bad sketch!
Thanks, I prompted it myself. Took all my years of prompt engineering experience and at least 20-30 seconds of dedicated typing effort.
Too bad an LLM can't give you a carpal tunnel massage.
Yet.
The live studio audience wasn't present for absolutely every piece- there was a great deal of material that was first filmed on location and then shown during the show. But having the audience was standard for comedy shows in both the U.S. and U.K. then- either an actual live audience or a laugh track culled from the response of earlier audiences.
It helped that they were all experienced performers. Graham Chapman, John Cleese and Eric Idle had been part of Cambridge University's dramatic society, The Footlights, and all of them had logged time performing and/or writing for British TV shows before they teamed up.
100%. Have you seen the five or six part doc Netflix has up right now? It's very good.
The struggle of deadpan v emoji use is real 🤪
I hate it! But it's reality.
I am heartened to know I'm not the only one 💚
Favorite Python movie: Life of Brian.
Favorite sketches: Spanish Inquisition, Dead Parrot, The Argument, Minister of Silly Walks, and five others.
Those are good choices! I always go back to the stuff on the "Contractual Obligation Album." Pure gold.
My sister's notorious. As an engagement present to her fiance, she had a coffee plunger engraved with, 'Through all life's ups and downs, never stop plunging me'. She never saw the innuendo. Everyone else did.
That's almost hard to believe, but I also know my own parents.
As my friend (former member of Œdypuss and the motherfuckers) would say: “ditto.”
Sadly it's not you. The downside of the Internet is that you cannot take a position, no matter how absurd, that you can't find someone arguing earnestly in favor of it.
But at least when you do you get to use this clip!
https://youtu.be/_n5E7feJHw0?si=D90LNHJWPe-tP9Ao
Favorite sketch.... Deja Vu. Did we talk about this before?
The absurdist path is fraught with peril. Go forth and conquer or at least attempt a silly walk. Also, 42.
I once read that putting an emoji or typing "jk" after a joke is a think folks over 35 do and the youngins tend to cringe. Like "yeah we know it's a joke". But I also feel that a ton of tone gets lost on social media... like how someone can get get upset and argumentative after reading something fairly innocuous. For instance, I could post "Elon Musk has no Ws in his name" and someone will likely have a strong opinion on what they presume o be my reasoning for sharing that. Also, I feel like my current cognitive deficits make me bad at picking up subtext and sarcasm for whatever reason. It doesn't help that I've always had a dry sense of humor so I often commit the same offense that gives me trouble. BUT THE RULES DON'T APPLY TO ME! lol.
See what I did there? Also, I don't remember my point.
You had a point? JK lol
Ha! I am the guy in the back of the room hurling smart ass comments at the speaker; I'm the guy at meetings who cracks jokes in the pauses and then looks around to see who's laughing. If I'm lucky maybe 10% gets a chuckle, less than 1% an actual laugh. I'm just trying to have fun, but jeesh so many people get torqued about it!😂
Very frustrating!
Not really...it makes me appreciate how hard stand-up comedians work, hitting clubs every night trying out material, changing it around, finally getting to a set that makes you laugh from beginning to end. It's hard work being funny! As for people who don't have a sense of humor..."I blow my nose at you! I wave my privates at your aunties you silly English king!"😂🤣😂🤣
What an incredible series of insults those geniuses came up with all those years ago! I revisit that scene probably at least once a week.
I always loved "Your mother was a hamsterrrrrr, and your father smelt of elderberries!"😂🤣😂🤣
Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second TYYYYMMMMUUUHHHHH!!!
😂🤣😂🤣😂