Loading…
25
Why does nobody talk about the pressure of delivering a good dad joke on the spot at a family dinner?
Last month at my sister's place in Columbus, we had a small get together for my nephew's 8th birthday. My brother in law asked me to say a few words, and I panicked and said "I'm reading a book about anti gravity, it's impossible to put down." Everyone groaned, but then my niece just stared at me and asked if I was okay. I think the forced dad joke is worse than no joke at all, but maybe that's just me. Do you all plan your jokes ahead or just wing it and hope for the best?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
caseyw128d ago
The part about your niece asking if you were okay really got me, because that is the exact moment a dad joke can backfire. But here is where I see it different: a groan is not a fail, a groan is the whole point. The joke is not supposed to land like a real joke. It is supposed to be bad, and the family groan is the laugh. Your anti gravity line was actually solid. The problem was not the joke, it was the pause before it, when everyone could tell you were reaching for something. I would rather hear a dad fumble a joke than sit through a speech that sounds like a work email. So keep winging it. The uncle who tries and eats a groan is way more fun than the uncle who stays quiet.
1