What Makes Funny Jokes? Tips For Finding Good Ones
FUNNY! Something that’s icky, dark, or just plain stupid is funny. Comedians earn their living being funny. But it seems like the word funny has to describe something inherently “funny” to some people. Is that true? Is there a universal definition of what’s funny?
First, let’s define the word. The Oxford English Dictionary defines funny as “having a touch of wittiness, irony, wit, or an ingenious humorous idea.” It also describes humorous as “having good taste; being sensitive.” So we know that funny means being sensitive, just in case some people find that touch of wittiness in something to be insensitive. So now we know what a funny word is according to dictionaries and we know what a funny joke is according to common understandings of the word, so how do we move forward?
The answer depends on where you go with your definition of funny. If you go to a comedy club, or a comedy website, or a forum online, you’ll find definitions that are very different from each other. Some will say that a funny joke is one that makes you laugh, others will say that a funny joke is one that makes you cry. So the solution to finding the exact lines to say yes or no is to use the dictionary and look at examples of when the words were used. That way you can tell for certain whether a joke is funny or not.
Let’s take Jennifer Lopez’s definition of funny again. She says, “A real laugh is something funny that you don’t have to measure. A real laugh is infectious and the best gifts come when we’re not expecting them.” That may be an example of the perfect definition of a funny joke but in order to make something funny, something has to actually make you laugh.
When you find funny, there are some basic factors that determine whether it is actually funny or not. If it is not serious and is in good taste, then it is probably appropriate for any situation. On the other hand, if the joke seems to digress into a serious topic without providing a logical conclusion, then it probably is not real humour. It just borders on being pointless filler.
In order to find funny jokes, you have to look for the telltale signs that you are watching a bad joke or not getting a laugh. Look for the things that are in poor taste, for example, you are not going to find many jokes about the lottery, unless they are particularly funny about winning the lottery. Similarly, if the punchline seems inappropriate for the situation it is not funny, as well. Conversely, extremely funny people seem to deliver their jokes with complete confidence and conviction. Knowing these signs can help you separate the wheat from the chaff when you are searching for funny jokes online.
