Why Jokes That Are Not Funny Still Make Us Laugh

Humor is weird. You’ve probably sat through a best man speech where the guy tries so hard to be the next John Mulaney, but instead, he’s just met with the sound of silverware clinking against plates. It’s painful. We call these jokes that are not funny, yet they occupy a massive space in our daily social interactions. Sometimes they’re called "anti-jokes." Other times, they’re just bad timing or a complete lack of self-awareness.

But here is the kicker: the "unfunny" joke is actually a sophisticated psychological tool.

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The Science of the Groan

Why do we keep telling jokes that are not funny? Honestly, it’s about tension. When someone tells a joke, they’re creating a social contract. They provide a setup, and you, the listener, agree to wait for the payoff. When that payoff is intentionally terrible—like the classic "What’s brown and sticky? A stick"—the humor doesn’t come from the punchline itself. It comes from the subversion of that contract. You expected a clever play on words. You got a literal description of a piece of wood.

Peter McGraw, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and director of the Humor Research Lab (HuRL), co-developed the Benign Violation Theory. It basically suggests that things are funny when they seem wrong, unsettling, or "off," but are actually safe. A joke that fails to be funny often falls into one of two traps. Either the violation is too small (it’s just boring) or it’s not benign (it’s actually offensive or hurtful).

However, there is a third category. The "so bad it’s good" phenomenon. This is where Dad Jokes live. They are technically jokes that are not funny by any standard metric of wit, yet they elicit a groan-laugh that bonds people together. It’s a low-stakes social lubricant.

Why Some Jokes Just Fall Flat

Context is everything. You can't just drop a niche meme reference in a boardroom and expect it to land. Humor requires a shared "knowledge base." If I make a joke about the Event Horizon telescope to someone who doesn't know what a black hole is, I’m just a guy talking nonsense.

• The Timing Gap: Humor is a biological rhythm. If the pause between the setup and the punchline is too long, the brain moves on. If it’s too short, the brain hasn't finished processing the setup.
• Over-Explanation: This is the quickest way to kill a joke. If you have to explain why it was funny, it's officially a joke that is not funny. The "A-ha!" moment of a joke is a mini-discovery. Explaining it is like spoiling the ending of a movie while the person is still watching the opening credits.
• Cultural Mismatch: What’s hilarious in Tokyo might be baffling in Topeka. This isn't just about language; it’s about the underlying values and taboos of a society.

The Rise of the Anti-Joke

There’s a specific subgenre of comedy dedicated entirely to jokes that are not funny. Think of Norm Macdonald. He was a master of this. He would tell a four-minute story about a moth going to a podiatrist, only for the punchline to be a total letdown. The humor wasn't the moth; it was the audacity of Norm making the audience sit through a long, rambling story for a mediocre payoff.

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This is "anti-humor." It’s meta. It’s a joke about jokes. For the audience, the "benign violation" is the comedian’s refusal to follow the rules of comedy.

The Social Cost of Being Unfunny

It’s not all just fun and games. In a professional setting, jokes that are not funny can actually hurt your status. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that while successful humor increases perceived status, competence, and confidence, unsuccessful humor—specifically "inappropriate" or "flat" jokes—can make you look less competent.

If you’re the boss and you tell a bad joke, people might laugh because they have to. This creates a "humor bubble." You think you’re hilarious, but you’re actually just witnessing a power dynamic in action. It’s a dangerous place to be because it prevents honest feedback.

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How to Save a Failing Joke

We’ve all been there. You start a story, you realize halfway through it’s not going anywhere, and the sweat starts to bead on your forehead.

1. Call it out. Authenticity is a lifesaver. If a joke tanks, just say, "Well, that sounded better in my head." This acknowledges the failure and makes you relatable again.
2. Lean into the awkwardness. Sometimes, the silence after a bad joke is funnier than the joke itself. If you can sit comfortably in that silence, you regain control of the room.
3. Don't repeat it. Some people think the audience just didn't hear them. They usually did. Repeating a joke that is not funny doesn't make it funnier; it makes it a hostage situation.

The Evolutionary Angle

Why do humans even have this capacity? Evolutionarily, humor is a "fitness signal." It shows intelligence, creativity, and the ability to think abstractly. When we tell jokes that are not funny, we are essentially misfiring a very complex biological signal.

Think of it like a bird with a slightly drabber plumage. It’s still trying to do the "mating dance" of social connection, but the tools aren't quite sharp enough. Interestingly, "bad" jokes (like Dad jokes) might serve a specific evolutionary purpose: teaching children how to handle social awkwardness and wordplay in a safe environment. It’s "play-fighting" for the brain.

Making Better Choices with Humor

To avoid the pitfall of jokes that are not funny, you have to become an amateur ethnographer. Observe the room. What are the shared pains of the group? What is the "elephant in the room"? Humor is most effective when it releases a collective pressure valve.

If you’re in a high-stress environment, a self-deprecating joke is usually a safe bet. It shows you’re self-aware and not a threat. However, avoid self-deprecation if you’re already in a position where your competence is being questioned. In that case, keep it observational.

Actionable Steps for Better Delivery

• Audit your audience. Before telling a joke, ask yourself if the people in the room have the context to understand the "violation."
• Test the waters. Start with a small, observational comment. If people don't smile or engage, keep the "big" joke in your pocket.
• Shorten the fuse. Most jokes that are not funny are simply too long. Cut the fluff. Get to the point.
• Focus on "The K." There’s an old comedy rule that words with a "K" sound (like cupcake, pickle, or Buick) are inherently funnier to the human ear. Use it if you're desperate.
• Practice active listening. The best comedians are usually the best listeners. They pick up on small details that others miss.

The reality is that everyone tells jokes that are not funny sometimes. It’s a part of the human experience of trying to connect. The goal isn't to be funny 100% of the time—that's impossible. The goal is to be aware enough to know when you've missed the mark and have the grace to move on.

Next time you hear a joke that’s so bad it makes your teeth ache, don’t just roll your eyes. Recognize it as a weird, clumsy attempt at human connection. Maybe even give it a courtesy chuckle. We’re all just trying to make the silence a little less heavy.

To improve your social hit rate, try recording yourself telling a story you think is funny. Listen back to the pacing. You’ll likely find places where you’re over-explaining or losing the beat. Shorten those sections, focus on the "benign violation" of the situation, and remember that sometimes, the best joke is the one you decide not to tell.