Used to write dad jokes on napkins, now I test them in front of my kids first

I used to just jot down puns on whatever scrap paper I had, like at lunch or during meetings at work in Chicago. Then I tried a pun about toast at the dinner table last Tuesday and my 8 year old groaned so hard he fell off his chair. Now I always run my jokes by him first, because if he doesn't cringe then I know it's not ready for the public. Anyone else have a kid who gives brutal feedback on your jokes?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade_hernandez14d ago

Test those jokes on the grumpiest cashier at your local grocery store instead, they've heard it all and won't hold back. My kids are too nice sometimes but the old guy at the hardware store will tell you straight up if your pun stinks. That way you get real world feedback before you bomb at the dinner table.

blair_davis13d ago

Had a buddy who spent a week perfecting this knock knock joke for his kid's birthday party. Tried it on the old lady at the post office who never smiles and she just stared at him like he was speaking another language. He took the hint and scrapped the whole thing before anyone had to fake a laugh. Theater kids at a college coffee shop are good for this too, they're brutally honest about timing and delivery. There's no substitute for a stranger who has zero reason to be nice about your joke.