when a good joke goes bad

[Magrat2005]

Okay found this in the GENERAL FORUM INFORMATION > NEW FORUM USERS GUIDE / FORUM FAQ and was wondering has anyone ever told a joke that went wrong. I tell jokes to my younger sister nearly all the time, but half the time she stares at me like 'wft?' then I have to explain it to her. Takes the joke outta it.

Over to you guys.

Has it ever happened in anyones shows?

[jester]

I generally try my jokes out on my poor friends and family before I put them in my show.

However, I have sometimes told a joke that I have used very well many times before and been surprised to find that it just did not work. It happens.

keep telling jokes to anybody who wants to hear them. But don't run around telling people jokes all the time, it can be irritating if you just don't stop... like I used to.

[Magrat2005]

I dont tell my sister the same joke over again, though I have been known to kill a joke that I find really funny by doing that. I really hate it, when someone tells a joke, and its not funny at all, but people still laugh (mostly seen on TV). Though I have a weird sense of humor, so that happens alot to me, I laugh and it's not funny

[le pire]

sometimes a joke stinks
sometimes the delivery stinks
sometimes the PLACEMENT of the joke in the show is wrong. etc. etc. etc.


There are many reasons a joke may or may not work in a show and it can be a painful process of trial and error before you find what works...

[Doctor Eric]

Last night I told the comedy club patrons who were in town for the pharmaceuticals convention that they were worshipping satan, that didn't go over well, that thing about the KKK fails sometimes too...

If your jokes always work, you may be consistent, but you aren't taking any chances either.

[jester]

I died, I did, many many slow deaths...

About 10 years ago, I peformed at a Comedy Club near Cambridge, on the way there I had this idea and lots of small jokes that came with it...

So, it being an open spot, I decided to try it out..

It bombed. I could see everybody staring politely at me, but I persevered and after about two minutes a slow handclap started.

So I put my hands in the air, apologised and offered to do something I'd actually rehearsed. That got a laugh and I managed to win a few hard earned laughs...

However, after the gig this bloke came up and said he'd liked the first routine, I just had to work on it....

A week later I won a talent competition in a pub with that routine, having worked on it and worked on it.. However, the people who I shared a house with at the time have to take a lot of the credit, because for some reason, one rainy evening they all took a rare interest and listened, criticised and contributed several top gags ...

The feeling you get when you deliver a joke which has previously died is a nice one.

[scot]

It sucks to fail telling someone else's joke.

[Magrat2005]

another thing that bugs me with jokes, is when you tell someone and they either dont get it or dont think its funny, but yet they still laugh, or smile, and you can tell their faking it. if you dont like a joke, dont laugh and say so, I aint gonna care,

[jayrodin]

carry around a cup of diet coke with you. if your joke goes bad put your chin in the cup of pop. say uhmmmm... "my chin is in a cup of pop" and start hyperventilating and screaming and spazing out and acting like a loopy loopy happy goofy doof. this also works well if you want to break up a fight.

[jayrodin]

I just was educated on the subject today. If your story/joke goes bad you then say "and then I found 5 dollars".

[jester]

If a routine depends entirely upon the punch line it is too weak to have in a show.

This morning, talking to a class of 11 year olds, I made them all laugh at everything except the punch line... so who cares, it made a nice tidy ending and thats all...

[Butterfly Man]

Taking chances

Once, in an all-black comedy club, I was being heckled and I said,

"Hey, slavery wasn't MY idea ... it was a good idea, but it wasn't mine."

Being the only white guy in the room, it got an interesting reaction.

[theballoonman]

springtime,vancouver bursts forth its placentaed green buds across its umbillical branches. offerring a smattering of shade to a fool plying his trade. Twisting up colorfull latex bags of air, and relishing his position of being a purveyor of high quality family fart jokes.
As usual,being one of the best eccentrics money can buy,the crowd is roaring,"who farted,haha,pull my finger,haha,i said poo !,haha".the crowd roars,a six year old holds his belly,the mommy smiles,a grandfather flashes a toothless grin. the small crowd of two extended families are under my control.
To my right i see two standup comedians rolling to within earshot... i say poo once again...the crowd goes wild...i jump up,throw arms to the sides in a theatrical flourish as my friends arrive and shout.....
"THE ARISTOCRATS!!!!!"