Writing a good joke is hard to do. Writing a good dad joke is even harder. Why? Because you have to walk a thin line between funny and cheesy. And that’s a very thin line.
The most common way to go is with a simple pun…
Who won the neck decorating contest?
It was a tie.
The fact that the set-up makes no sense at all doesn’t matter. A neck decorating contest? Who ever heard of such a thing? Nobody! But if you want to be an effective teller of dad jokes, you have to pretend it’s real. And you have to stick to your guns.
Daughter: There’s no such thing as a neck decorating contest.
Dad: Then why do I have a trophy for winning one?
Daughter: I thought you said it was a tie.
Dad: That was a different one. I’ve been in a lot of neck decorating contests.
And then you run out of the room laughing.
How do I come up with a dad joke that incorporates my child’s enduring love of geometry?
Such a great question!
And it’s easier than you think.
If your house is cold, just stand in the corner.
It’s always 90 degrees there.
In my experience, the only thing kids love more than being embarrassed by their dad… is math. Combine the two, and all you have to do is sit back and wait for the admiration to pour in. Just ask Euclid. That guy was a well known hoot.
How do you know when a dad joke is actually bad?
There’s no such thing as a bad dad joke. There’s only a bad dad joke teller. It’s all about the delivery. In the words of my wife when she first found out I had a pinball machine in my apartment, “Ya gotta sell it.”
How much does a chimney cost?
Nothing. It’s on the house.
Then you hit ‘em hard with “jazz hands,” and stare at them until they stop rolling their eyes and crack a smile against their will.
What’s the primary goal of telling a dad joke?
To get a laugh, of course, no matter the cost!
But more importantly, it’s about showing your kids how to be playful and silly without being self-conscious. Have fun. Be fun. Create fun. I know that sounds like something embroidered on a pillow at your mother’s friend’s house, but it’s true.
