Puns only work well when the word your punning is a word the majority of people are familiar with. Otherwise, it almost feels like the word you’re reading is made up.
For example,
Picture two people talking on the phone. The guy is normal looking. The girl is real homely.
Say the caption is:
“When Bob talked to Mary on the phone he was excited to hear her talk all about her “viraginity”.”
Now, this cartoon is funny only IF you’ve heard and know what the word “viraginity” means If you don’t know what it means, the whole joke falls flat.
Now, imagine the picture above again. If you know that “viraginity” means “masculine qualities in a woman”, the joke becomes funny. The guy, Bob, is getting excited, unknowingly, about a girl who looks like a guy.
Bob thought Mary was talking about her “virginity”, but she was talking about how she looked like a guy viraginity”.
Of course, explaining a joke, in and of itself, kills it. If you knew what viraginity” meant to begin with, the joke would have flowed and been funny frmo the getgo. It isn’t funny for you because you probably didn’t know what “viraginity” means. Well, now you do because I told you.
The “Bach” Jellyfish fell flat because, well, most people have never heard of it. Readers probably assumed it was a type of jellyfish, but you’re left a bit uncertain and that uncertainty takes the zing out of the joke.
I like to read cartoons that use puns using words that have common usage and are almost universally understood..
Like: ” A termite walks into a bar & asks “Is the bar tender here?” ”
Eardroppings: The “viraginity” pun was doubly obscure. When you look up “viraginity” it says: “the qualities of a virago” Then you have to look virago up…….
And my spell checker is flagging viraginity. Even Microsoft never heard if it, I guess….
Ooo. That’s pretty incriminating. I think gocomics should kick off both accounts. That’s an obvious fraud. You could check the ISP number and block it and get a general city location.
avarner over 14 years ago
I don’t get it ?? And I looked up types of Jellyfish….
Ashrey over 14 years ago
Uncultured hippies.
Fortran Premium Member over 14 years ago
@avarner: A common species (well, order) of jellyfish are box jellyfish: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_jellyfish
phanchem09 over 14 years ago
Cousins, no doubt, of the more popular juicebach’s jellyfish…
LibrarianInTraining over 14 years ago
Hehehehe. It’s a pun. I love puns!
Ushindi over 14 years ago
Another winner, Scott.
risitas over 14 years ago
Oh, Bach’s Jellyfish ain’t nuttin’ compared to
SCHUBERT’S SEAL SHARKS!!!…..not to mention
RACHMANINOFF’S STING RAYS!!!!!jpozenel over 14 years ago
Thanks Fortran. I knew about box jellyfish but for some reason it just didn’t register. Saturday I guess.
eardroppings over 14 years ago
This does not work for me.
Puns only work well when the word your punning is a word the majority of people are familiar with. Otherwise, it almost feels like the word you’re reading is made up.
For example,
Picture two people talking on the phone. The guy is normal looking. The girl is real homely.
Say the caption is: “When Bob talked to Mary on the phone he was excited to hear her talk all about her “viraginity”.”
Now, this cartoon is funny only IF you’ve heard and know what the word “viraginity” means If you don’t know what it means, the whole joke falls flat.
Now, imagine the picture above again. If you know that “viraginity” means “masculine qualities in a woman”, the joke becomes funny. The guy, Bob, is getting excited, unknowingly, about a girl who looks like a guy.
Bob thought Mary was talking about her “virginity”, but she was talking about how she looked like a guy viraginity”.
Of course, explaining a joke, in and of itself, kills it. If you knew what viraginity” meant to begin with, the joke would have flowed and been funny frmo the getgo. It isn’t funny for you because you probably didn’t know what “viraginity” means. Well, now you do because I told you.
The “Bach” Jellyfish fell flat because, well, most people have never heard of it. Readers probably assumed it was a type of jellyfish, but you’re left a bit uncertain and that uncertainty takes the zing out of the joke.
I like to read cartoons that use puns using words that have common usage and are almost universally understood..
fredbuhl over 14 years ago
I guess you’ll re-fugue to listen.
CoBass over 14 years ago
@Fortran I want to add my thanks as well.
chromosome Premium Member over 14 years ago
I’ll go pack my Bach’s Lunch for tomorrow…
lfanterickson over 14 years ago
I love the wigs! I’m glad for the explanation, but don’t over-analyze.
avarner over 14 years ago
Thanks for the explaination Fortran!
Now I’m smarter than I was yesterday……
I prefer simpler puns though.
Like: ” A termite walks into a bar & asks “Is the bar tender here?” ”
Eardroppings: The “viraginity” pun was doubly obscure. When you look up “viraginity” it says: “the qualities of a virago” Then you have to look virago up…….
And my spell checker is flagging viraginity. Even Microsoft never heard if it, I guess….
FDNY over 14 years ago
ha ha!
eardroppings/ calvinandquestionamark is busted!
terrencio over 14 years ago
That’s some good detective work.
Karen345 over 14 years ago
Ooo. That’s pretty incriminating. I think gocomics should kick off both accounts. That’s an obvious fraud. You could check the ISP number and block it and get a general city location.