Bully

Jokes work for an audience. It’s just a narrative which some people find humorous. Some jokes work for a very large audience while some for a specific set.

I think many times people take jokes further than they should. We don’t all have the same level or sense of humour. Add to that the fact that sometimes people have experienced trauma of varying degrees and some jokes can stir that shit up, and you just might want to tread lightly. Test the waters, so to speak.

Some jokes that work very well on a set of people may also completely bounce with another set. It does not mean that the other is less evolved or narrow-minded than the other. Jokes have to work at a certain level of comfort, even while it pushes boundaries. Which is why jokes on topics like racism or history or culture/society really need to be worded and delivered carefully for it to land. Personally, I would not mind any level of jokes my best friends make on or with me; I might not tolerate the exact same joke from someone else I do not know.

Which brings me to my point that sometimes people use jokes as a license to bully. If you make a joke at someone’s expense or tease someone and they take offence, perhaps, (I don't really believe this but let's say for argument's sake) you have a more tolerant sense of humour. But if you already know that they don’t like it, and you keep doing it, you’re being nothing more than a bully. So maybe stop? And joke with the people that find you funny.

Jokes are sometimes very stupid too. Have you heard about the Giant Peach Head one? According to the late Matthew Perry, this is one of the most polarising jokes he tells. Half of the people find it amusing, while half just get annoyed. Here is the joke:

This guy is standing on the street and he has a giant peach for a head. And a man walks up to him and goes, “Uhm, you’ve a giant peach for a head. What’s up with that?” And the guy says, “Funny story, actually. A genie came up to me and granted me three wishes. And for my first wish I asked to be rich. And a guy came up with a briefcase with a million dollars and I’m a millionaire. And I’m a millionaire! For my second wish, I asked for the most beautiful woman in the world to fall madly in love with me. Mila Kunis walked up to me and said, I love you, we’re getting married in a month. For my third wish, I asked to have a giant peach as a head.” 

What do you think? Funny or not?