Poll: Are you funny? [And do you suffer from thinking you're funnier than you're perceived by others?]

Who here thinks they're funny?

  • Who here thinks they're funny but thinks that people judge them harshly in the 'am I funny' stakes?

    Votes: 6 10.0%

  • Who here just flatly thinks they're not funny and doesn't expect others to think so either?

    Votes: 9 15.0%

  • Ban op for 24 hours because it's funny ?

    Votes: 45 75.0%
  • Total voters
    60

Participant

Participant

Participant

Caporegime
Joined
13 May 2003
Posts
34,595
Location
Warwickshire
I sometimes say things I'm convinced at the time are utterly hilarious, but when the words come out of my mouth nobody laughs.

It might be because my humour is too advanced for the proletariat and they simply don't understand it, but I think part of being funny is knowing your audience.

Example:

Earlier I went to a parents evening at my daughter's school and a few people in the waiting area were saying that the previous couple were taking too long with the teacher.

I said 'Must be performance anxiety' and my wife glared at me. Nobody even smirked. This caught me on the hop slightly as I consider myself 'utterly hilarious', and I started questioning myself.

  • Who here thinks they're funny?
  • Who here thinks they're funny but thinks that people judge them harshly in the 'am I funny' stakes?
  • Who here just flatly thinks they're not funny and doesn't expect others to think so either?
A poll would be good if any admins feel like Banning me.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I try too far hard to be considered even remotely funny but that doesn't stop me thinking that I am still very, very funny which further reinforces everyone's belief that I have no self-awareness, or capability for humour, due to being a colossal asshat who is self-absorbed and vapid in every meaningful way.

As an example: this post.
 
I would have laughed at the performance anxiety joke.

People find me funny, but mostly because they're too normal and I tend to come out with weird stuff or just lower the tone in general. I'm not stand up material, I just also say the joke even if it's probably inappropriate
 
I'm much funnier than I used to be, most of that I put down to having the confidence to speak up in groups and take the lead in conversation as I've got older, as well as an overall improvement in social perception.

What you need to appreciate is that making people laugh ultimately comes down to knowing your audience, and timing. Mess either of those up and you're a goner, regardless of how witty the remark might be.

I think you must have misjudged your audience at the parents evening.
 
I probably would have politely laughed at the OP's joke, to build rapport, before mercilessly deploying a 291 hit mega-laugh ultra-combo.
 
To directly respond to OP. Being acerbic is a trait my wife isn't too impressed with either. Pitty life isn't exclusively for impressing her :)
 
I think I'm generally regarded as pretty funny. But like you I occasionally come out with "hilarious" quips that leave people stone cold, particularly those who don't know me very well.
 
Participant said:
Earlier I went to a parents evening at my daughter's school and a few people in the waiting area were saying that the previous couple were taking too long with the teacher.
Click to expand...

In this day and age I'm surprised one of the parents didn't report you for making an inappropriate joke at school :s

I would have laughed though it is only just one step away from "dad" humour.
 
5 of us were having a chat at work today, me, another lad and 3 birds, one told me that tonight you can see Saturn around midnight, I said I'd rather see Uranus, only the lad laughed, birds weren't happy, bloody bores...

I thought it was a great reply..
 
Clov!s said:
5 of us were having a chat at work today, me, another lad and 3 birds, one told me that tonight you can see Saturn around midnight, I said I'd rather see Uranus, only the lad laughed, birds weren't happy, bloody bores...

I thought it was a great reply..
Click to expand...

One of the reasons I've stuck in my current job as long as I have - nearly everyone has a good sense of humour.
 
Funny enough, though occasionally I'll overstep the mark or come up with something way obscure. I get away with the occasional "that's what she said" at work.

At the obscure end of the spectrum, I came up with this joke while cycling to work the other day...

Why are Hindu accountants so expensive?
Because they charge per deum.

Requires some knowledge of theology, accountancy and Latin. Niche.
 
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