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Dad jokes are intentionally lame. They serve an important social function - they establish the dad as the "lowest" member of the social totem pole, which frees
by defen 4y ago
Dad jokes are intentionally lame. They serve an important social function - they establish the dad as the "lowest" member of the social totem pole, which frees kids up to not sweat social status so much. They allow everyone to unite in solidarity about how lame dad is, instead of obsessing about being cool all the time.
- dylan604 4y agoI'm astounded at how well this explanation sounds. It's as if someone did a social study into dad jokes that was funded by the NSF with actual trained professionals. I'm guessing this only applies in a heavily matriarchial society. If it was a patriarchial society, you'd be killed for lowering the status of the head of the family with such nonsense!
- defen 4y agoIt wouldn't surprise me if someone else already figured it out, but I put it together after becoming a father myself and reading Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre
- dylan604 4y agosounds kind of circular with the logic though, yeah?
- Danieru 4y agoInteresting take, based on my own life I would suggest the opposite: Dad is secure in his position and thus not vying for status. I enjoy saying silly stuff or teasing my kids. Not for any tactical or strategic reason just to have a chance to joke with them. I expect if I was worried about social standing I would not say silly things. That I am "Dad" and cannot be fired means I am safe. For example: I feel super proud when my daughter tells _me_ what I am saying is silly and she tells me why. So much of parenting is about us telling our kids things, what to do, or why something happens. Saying silly things invites the kids to tell us stuff with their own authority.
- dylan604 4y ago>Dad is secure in his position "What are they going to do, fire me?" knock, knock "You've been served" <opens package to find divorce papers for irreconcilable dad jokes>
- rootusrootus 4y agoI like this explanation, it seems pretty plausible. But then again, my 10 year old son does better dad jokes than I do. And it definitely hasn't made him the lowest member of our social totem pole.
- dylan604 4y agoIs a 10 year old making dad jokes or kid jokes? There's a fine line, I know, but wouldn't want to miscredit something