Had a 10 minute chat with my uncle about groaners versus clever puns

He said a dad joke only works if the setup makes you sigh first, and honestly that hit different because I've been chasing big laughs when the real win is the eye roll. Anyone else think the best punchlines come from the dumbest setups, or am I overthinking this?

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mary_foster922d ago

Wait, isn't the whole point that the dumber the setup, the harder the payoff lands? Like, my favorite one is "I'm reading a book on anti-gravity, it's impossible to put down" and the groan is practically violent, but that's what makes it stick in your brain all day. The clever ones are fun to smile at, but they fade fast. The dumb ones force you to admit you laughed, which is way more personal. So yeah, your uncle's onto something, the sigh is basically the setup for the real punchline.