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There is humor and there’s dad humor. These two categories shall not be confused, as they offer completely different kinds of entertainment.

In fact, we could argue whether dad jokes are that entertaining. Never in the right place at the right time, sometimes genuinely annoying, and almost every time cringe-worthy, they have become an entirely new phenomenon on the internet with almost a cult following. Not because they are necessarily funny, let me remind you, but because they are totally punny.

This Instagram page known as Dad Says Jokes is a powerhouse for dad comedy which collects the cringiest puns and the most priceless words uttered by our pops and dadas. With a whopping 4.1M people loving the content shared on this page, it’s hard not to like this weird and witty part of the internet.

Psst! More posts with Dad Says Jokes await here, here and here.

More info: Instagram Facebook Twitter Amazon

Although most humans never say ‘no’ to a good joke, dad jokes belong to a somewhat entirely different category. More punny than actually funny, they offer absurd entertainment that takes cringe onto a whole new level. No wonder dad jokes have gained a cult following online with fans enjoying this comical sub-genre.

By combining second-hand embarrassment, dad jokes essentially have the same effect you experience while sitting at a family dinner and hearing your dad say something so cringeworthy that you feel like disappearing. But the fun part is that your dad is not simply immune to embarrassment, he is convinced of how hilarious his jokes are.

According to marketing expert and book author Alex Wong, better known as the “Hijack” Copywriter, dad jokes are popular because they’re cheesy but also clever and funny. “You can’t help but laugh. And then you hate yourself for laughing, which makes it even funnier.”

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“They’re easy to tell and understand. You don’t need an elaborate setup or punchline for the joke to work. Most of them are just silly puns or wordplay,” he told Bored Panda and gave an example: “For example: ‘I used to hate facial hair, but then it grew on me.’”

“Lastly, the fact that the person telling the dad joke often knows how bad it is but doesn’t care, makes it so much better. It shows confidence and a carefree attitude, which is attractive. Most of us take ourselves too seriously, so it’s a good way to remind ourselves that it's OK to have some fun,” Wong explained.

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In a previous interview with Bored Panda, Sophie Scott, the British neuroscientist and Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow at University College London, explained how and why we find particular jokes funny and others not so much. Scott’s research investigates the cognitive neuroscience of voices, speech, and laughter, particularly speech perception, speech production, vocal emotions, and human communication.

“The first thing you need to understand is the intended meaning that makes it funny. One simple thing about not getting a joke is not realizing that it's a joke at all, assuming that someone is being serious and saying something stupid,” Scott explained.

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Moreover, in order to get the joke, you need to be receptive to the idea that it’s a joke. “It often has to do with as much as the person telling the joke or where the joke is coming from, as much as the content of a joke.”

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Meanwhile, there exist different theories of humor and what makes things funny. Some theories claim that sometimes you laugh because it makes you feel better about yourself, you feel superior by telling the joke. Other theories say that you laugh because there’s some sort of complex setup and then it’s resolved and that’s part of getting the joke.

Another reason we find the joke funny may have to do with taboo which is totally acceptable when mentioned in a joking context. “Or often,” the professor continued, “we laugh because laughter is a behavior associated in humans and other mammals with play.”

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James G. Currie
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can I shoot you now? ;) Axe is the WORST! (I'd rather sit beside someone with bad BO!)

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ᴀʟᴇxᴏᴛʟ_ᴛʜᴇɢʀᴇᴀᴛ
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Help me, my brother got an infinity gauntlet printer, we’re all in danger! He’s in the random and video games phase!

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Allan Breum
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In a way I really do wish the earth was flat. If nothing else, so we can push the idiots over the edge...

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd upvote this, except that there is more than one root. It is the square root of all evil.

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Zack Podany
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was driving when I read this. Laughed so hard I dropped my shaver into my cereal.

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ᴀʟᴇxᴏᴛʟ_ᴛʜᴇɢʀᴇᴀᴛ
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I got concussed. I got to baguette my way to the hospital. At my funeral, my best friend said “I am so lucky to croissant paths with him. Now, does anyone have anything to say? If not, I have to go oui oui”

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RafCo (he/him)
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are two cats in a boat race. The first cat is named "One Two Three", the second cat is named "Un Deux Trois". Obviously the first cat won the race. Unfortunately the Un Deux Trois cat sank.

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Jaden Alexander
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually used this line on a boss once but she wanted me to come in on Sunday.

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Adam Zad
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My wife said "are you even listening to me?" I thought it was a weird way to start a conversation.

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SheamusFan1987
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's probably Speed so that you get there faster but not on steady legs.

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Chintan Shah
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe the gentleman ordering the steak earlier should try this, he may win a few more arguments 😂

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2 years ago

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Karl Weber
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of the old story about when William Randolph Hearst was on a spree of buying newspapers all over the country. He sent a telegram to some newspaper owner asking WHAT WILL YOU TAKE FOR THE HERALD? The owner wired back THREE CENTS ON WEEKDAYS, FIVE CENTS ON SUNDAY.

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ᴀʟᴇxᴏᴛʟ_ᴛʜᴇɢʀᴇᴀᴛ
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So you left crying and with your signed homework and test in hand, after she said that anyone from any other planet could be better than you?

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