Whether you’re an adult, a teen, or a kid, dad jokes can make you laugh out loud. They are wholesome and clean, filled with clever wordplay, and they are sure to bring smiles to anyone’s face. These rib-tickling jokes are often a mix of one-liners and puns that are simple enough for kids to understand.
A dad joke is a joke that is intentionally corny or cliche, often in the form of a pun, and is meant to generate an eye-rolling reaction from the audience. These are not the same as groan-worthy jokes, such as those from the show The Office, where Ricky Gervais deliberately provokes cringe comedy in the audience. Dad jokes are not to be confused with other types of humor, such as slapstick or gross-out comedy.
While a dad joke may seem like a cruel trick to play on children, research has shown that these jokes actually serve a pedagogical function for the same children who roll their eyes at them. The reason for this is that these jokes push the boundaries of how much embarrassment a child can take, and they teach them how to be resilient in the face of social awkwardness.
This is a critical pedagogical tool for children, especially as they enter the adolescent years and are at an age when they are developing a sense of independence. The bottom line is that dad jokes are not to be taken seriously, but they are an effective way for parents to communicate with their children, and they should continue telling these jokes, even if the kids roll their eyes or groan. best dad jokes