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We’ve all been there—someone makes an awesome joke, but it’s either too subtle or it has a hidden twist to it that we don’t see. And the joke just goes over our heads, making a very loud ‘woooosh’ sound! However, some people don’t get these jokes to such a degree that their reactions get screenshotted and featured on the massively popular r/woooosh subreddit, an online community of over a million members.

Scroll down to find some of the most ridiculous times people missed the joke so bad, they ended up embarrassing themselves online. Don’t forget to upvote the pics and jokes that made you chuckle the most, Pandas.

If you’re in the mood for some more wonderfully weird ‘wooooshes,’ then we invite you to check out Bored Panda’s earlier articles about r/woooosh when you’re done enjoying this list. You’ll find our previous article here, here, as well as here.

We got in touch with British comedy writer and aspiring pop star Ariane Sherine to have a chat about humor and not getting jokes. Scroll down for Bored Panda's interview with her.

#1

These Subtitles Are Really Immersive

These Subtitles Are Really Immersive

ThePbbLatias Report

Bored Panda wanted to get comedy writer Ariane's opinion on what it says about us as people if some jokes go over our heads. "Depending on the situation, it either means you’re not privy to knowledge you need to understand the joke, or it just means your brain doesn’t work in the way it needs to in order to understand that particular type of humor," she said.

However, we shouldn't worry because we all miss some jokes some of the time. Nobody's perfect, not even comedy professionals. "Stuff goes over my head occasionally too and I’m a comedian!" Ariane told us.

The comedian isn't sure if our awareness of what's funny is just about exposure to humorous content. "Babies find a lot of things funny, so it’s partly innate," she mused that understanding comedy is a mix of nature and nurture. "But for jokes like puns, you definitely need a firm grasp of language, and for political satire, you of course need an understanding of politics."

We also touched on whose responsibility it is for the audience to get the joke, the comedian or the listeners. "It really depends on the joke and how it’s told," Ariane said.

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"People can’t be expected to get badly-told jokes where the setup or punchline is mangled, but if the joke’s told well, it’s not necessarily the comic’s fault if another person doesn’t get it. Humor can be quite a niche and individual thing, but if a joke regularly falls flat most comics will drop it from their sets."

#6

Wdym, Its A Picture Taken Back Then

Wdym, Its A Picture Taken Back Then

Minestars_player69 Report

Judging people for their mistakes and feeling embarrassed when we make them ourselves are part and parcel of being a human being. It’s a part of who we are. However, there’s a healthy way to react when someone (including us!) misses the joke entirely.

Psychologist and wellbeing consultant Lee Chambers explained to Bored Panda during a previous in-depth interview that people judge others both consciously and automatically. “Comically, we are often told as children not to judge others and have stories shared about how judging others can mean we upset them or lose opportunities to see what really lies behind our perception," he told us.

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There are a variety of reasons why we might judge someone. "Sometimes, we judge others to feel superior ourselves, finding faults in others, highlighting them, and feeling better about ourselves in the process. Sometimes, we use it to work out where we fit in, recognizing how we want to be, where our aspirations lie, and how we don't want to become," the psychologist revealed.

"Sometimes, it's in response to our own flaws, and we attack others for what we don't like or don't see into ourselves. And on other occasions, it's to fit into a wider group who judge something or someone, and we conform and perform with the same judgment,” Lee said.

#10

I Can’t Believe Da Vinci Would Do Something Like That

I Can’t Believe Da Vinci Would Do Something Like That

UnderstandingFuture6 Report

#11

Nothing Starts With "N" And Ends With "G"

Nothing Starts With "N" And Ends With "G"

LunaBug235 Report

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kimyeonjae avatar
Munchkin
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

probably copied and pasted off google; also what even is "nutting"

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#12

Nope He’s From Star Trek

Nope He’s From Star Trek

lesterzeor1 Report

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River Webb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

most children exposed to fame do end up like this. my sympathies for R2-D2

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In the psychologist’s view, being judgmental "does have some benefits when used mindfully.” For instance: “It can help us to set goals, find alignment with our values, it can help us to build the self-awareness of others and it can boost our self-esteem.”

#13

Right Over The Head Of An Anti-Vaxxer

Right Over The Head Of An Anti-Vaxxer

GillianMcKeith Report

#14

I Mean He Was Trying To Be Helpful

I Mean He Was Trying To Be Helpful

USGrantWasTheMan Report

#15

Definitely The Bird Hitching A Ride

Definitely The Bird Hitching A Ride

Ash_Dog_Magic12 Report

What’s more, passing judgment on others can help us make positive social choices. “it's understanding how and why we judge that gives us the ability to use it for our benefits instead of escaping our flaws or pulling others down."

Meanwhile, if we end up feeling embarrassed because we didn’t get a joke and we’ve responded in a frankly silly way online, it’s important to remember to accept those feelings. Running away from our embarrassment can, later on, morph into shame.

#16

16 Thousand Likes Is A Lot Of Wooshes

16 Thousand Likes Is A Lot Of Wooshes

FifunmiThaking Report

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Jackie Chan does use a double - just not for stunts, but for boring bits, like getting in cars, walking down the street, that sort of thing

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#17

"This Is Also A Lie"

"This Is Also A Lie"

pthomsen-Tvhf4576 Report

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kimyeonjae avatar
Munchkin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

well obviously he and a minion attached together in an odd accident involving freeze rays, weird hats, 3 little girls, and GRU

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"We spend a lot of time and effort presenting an ideal version of ourselves to other people. When something happens that contrasts with the image we’ve been projecting—when we say or do something that shows we actually aren’t as graceful or as smart as we’d like people to believe—we feel embarrassed," Vanessa Bohns, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University, told Bored Panda.

#19

The Government Controls Everything Stoopit

The Government Controls Everything Stoopit

ErickaLydon Report

#20

Running Was Invented

Running Was Invented

Elitetimeline7 Report

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Ranger Kanootsen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

John Smith? inventing chewing? WRONG. Michael Chewing invented chewing. get that bs outta here

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#21

Nothing Gets Past This Person, Not Even Those Sneaky Party Invites

Nothing Gets Past This Person, Not Even Those Sneaky Party Invites

FireFlavour Report

"Discovering you were wrong about something most everyone else around you has long known to be true is one of those moments. In that moment we learn, 'Wait a minute, maybe I haven’t been presenting the image of being smart or worldly that I thought I was presenting all this time,' which is embarrassing,” she said.

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#22

Frontside 180

Frontside 180

tonyhawk Report

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dundun avatar
DUN DUN (she/her)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

LMAO imagine if John Cena had to explain why he never clicked photos with his fans.

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“One thing that’s interesting about embarrassment is that, for as much as we might experience it as painful in the moment, it’s actually very socially adaptive. Being embarrassed signals to other people that you care about what they think. And that actually draws people in to you,” Vanessa said that there are benefits to showing that you’re embarrassed about a mistake.

#26

Defending Schrödinger’s Cat

Defending Schrödinger’s Cat

Dubious_Naysayer Report

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“So blushing, burying your head in your hands, laughing, acknowledging how embarrassing something was, are all totally healthy ways to react,” she told us.

“The unhealthy way to react is to pretend you’re not embarrassed, that you didn’t make a mistake, or to get angry. Those things undo the positive effect of embarrassment typically has on other people by conveying insincerity and pushing people away rather than drawing them in.”

#28

Oh Wait

Oh Wait

Azmatang Report

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dundun avatar
DUN DUN (she/her)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm dying to see the comments after this one on this thread. Trauma that'll last for eternity.

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#29

By Flying Up Obviously???

By Flying Up Obviously???

DiavoloExplainsIt Report

Which of these pics and 'wooooshes' did you enjoy looking at and reading the most, dear Pandas? Have you ever had a 'woooosh' moment? Have you ever had a joke go over someone else's head? Share your thoughts with all of us in the comment section at the bottom of this list.

#31

He Also Forgot About Canadian And Australian

He Also Forgot About Canadian And Australian

More-Engineering-888 Report

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nathaniel avatar
Nathaniel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I beg to differ, my American friend who lives here in England for nigh on 20 years is still learning English English.

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#36

How Tf Does Sgel Stand For That

How Tf Does Sgel Stand For That

toasterlunch Report

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#37

This Is Heartbreaking

This Is Heartbreaking

CUtORTHA Report

#38

F In The Chat For The People In The Old Days

F In The Chat For The People In The Old Days

EvanBondz Report

#39

This Is Quite Offensive

This Is Quite Offensive

basketbefore Report

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nathaniel avatar
Nathaniel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Vegan's should go back to their own country, we do not want them here.

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#40

Which One?

Which One?

Winning-Sonic Report

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kimyeonjae avatar
Munchkin
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

how dare you, maria c. with glasses and without braces lol

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#41

This Man Speaks The Deutsch

This Man Speaks The Deutsch

RichardsonM24 Report

#44

He Really Think He Did Something

He Really Think He Did Something

Worickorell Report

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dundun avatar
DUN DUN (she/her)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Captain America isn't real, and Santa didn't bring me the Ps5. Pfft! Some people!

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#45

It’s An Ifunnier, So Go Ahead And Hate On Him

It’s An Ifunnier, So Go Ahead And Hate On Him

dfvgdthyjnhjkjfjmjkg Report

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#47

Apologies For Being On Instagram

Apologies For Being On Instagram

JackelynDuarte Report

#50

It's Just A Picture You Dumbass

It's Just A Picture You Dumbass

trenchman_ Report

Note: this post originally had 122 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.