“I’m hungry,” you grumble one afternoon as you come back from a long, tiring day of school. Your dad spots you in the kitchen and greets you, exclaiming, “Nice to meet you, Hungry! I’m Dad.” You roll your eyes and trudge back to your room, because you were just told a dad joke! These famous jokes are notorious for the way that they utilize puns and logic into eye-rolling humor. But how did they come to be, and what impacts do they have on psychology?
The Origin
First of all, when does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent! (Pun intended!) According to the Merriam Webster dictionary definition, a dad joke is “a wholesome joke of the type said to be told by fathers with a punchline that is often an obvious or predictable pun or play on words and usually judged to be endearingly corny or unfunny.” In other words, dad jokes are the groan-worthy, really-should-have-seen-it-coming, so-bad-it’s-good types that we have grown to love — and hate!
But how did they become associated with dads? Fathers, in general, have a distinct way of playing and joking with their children. In play, they are usually rougher and more teasing towards kids, and wield this ability when telling their dad jokes. And guess what? Middle schoolers are almost always their targets (this is coming from someone who has suffered through various dad jokes and lived to tell the tale!).
So…when did the first dad jokes appear? Was it during the medieval times, with Englishmen cracking jokes in their puffed-up shirts and suits? Or was it during modern-day America?
The first known usage of the term “dad joke” dates back to June 1987 in an article for the Gettysburg Times, a renowned newspaper from Pennsylvania. However, dad jokes have actually been around for much, much longer! In fact, Mike Fontaine, a professor of classics at Cornell University, collected thirteen different dad jokes that were dated all the way back to Ancient Rome! For any social studies teachers who are reading this, how have we not learned about this world-changing historical phenomenon?!
Impacts on Psychology
In general, people have mixed views about dad jokes. Some genuinely enjoy them (if you do, you are probably a dad yourself!), while most find them utterly annoying. But this controversy is what makes dad jokes so unique. They are so unfunny that they are funny! It is reverse psychology in action.
And while people may not think much about them at first thought, according to The Conversation, dad jokes actually play a pivotal role in the development of adolescent children. Although many middle and high schoolers find dad jokes “cringey” and “lame”, this playful form of father-child bonding can actually help young teens learn how to manage and deal with embarrassment in a mature way. This will help them regulate their emotions and develop resilience, a quality important throughout life.
So, do not merely dismiss dad jokes as some lame, cringey puns— they are so much more! And whenever you get a chance, let your own father know that no matter how annoying their jokes can be, you appreciate their attempts at humor. And they will tell you, “Dad jokes? That’s the way eye roll!”.
Sources:
- Why dad jokes crack us up: The surprising psychology explained | The Seattle Times
- The Science of Dad Jokes: Exploring the Psychology Behind Humor and Bonding - Marcela Says
- The Origins of Dads, Jokes, and Dad Jokes
Thank you Hotaru M. for editing this article!