Entertainment | January 20, 2009 | 32 comments

Four in ten people laugh at bad jokes, scientists find

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/4237359/Four-in-ten-peop...

Image
Will_the_Thrill
Researchers believe that we may be amused at being let down by the humour - and that we laugh at how bad a joke can actually be.

Dr Nancy Bell made her findings after a team of colleagues told this joke to almost 200 people: "What did the big chimney say to the little chimney? Nothing. Chimneys can't talk."

The most common reaction was to laugh, a response given by 37 per cent of people. The second-most likely reaction was to respond in a mildly negative way, by saying something like 'That's not very funny.'

Next came bland, non-committal comments like 'Okay'. Only a small minority were rude about the joke or made sarcastic comments about its teller. Only six per cent rolled their eyes or shook their head, while a tiny 0.5 per cent groaned.

Dr Bell, an assistant professor of English at Washington State University in the US, said strangers were far more likely to be polite when told a bad joke than friends or loved-ones.

She said: "We found that social relationship was highly significant, suggesting that responses to failed humour among intimates will be most direct and negative, while strangers and acquaintances will tend to use more neutral responses."

Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychologist from Hertfordshire University, said people might laugh at bad jokes because they were surprised at receiving such a bad punchline.

But that does not explain the curious phenomenon of the Christmas cracker, when people laugh at a bad joke even though they are expecting it.

Five worst jokes, according to Prof Wiseman

1. Knock knock

-Who's there?

Boo

-Boo who?

Don't cry!

2. What does pride go before?

...lions

3. What's green and likes snow?

Ski-weed

4. Why were the rabbits eating the motorway?
It was a dual cabbageway

5. If I eat three cakes in the morning and three for tea, what will I have?
Tummy ache


This is all at link..

So, is that why Seinfeld is so popular. It's like I get it, what's the deal with everyday life? Ha, ha funny observations, but do something new. Keep yourself creative/quick-witted. And on a side note, I don't know what this article is talking about when they said that chimney joke was bad. They don't know what their talking about. That joke is hilarious.

What's yellow and goes up and down? A banana in an elevator. I've got a million o' them!
  1. groups:
    Entertainment,   Culture,   WTF
  2. tags:
    Entertainment,  Culture,  WTF,  Humor,  1 more
  3.     
    |

32 comments // Four in ten people laugh at bad jokes, scientists find

more from Entertainment:
from the community

top videos