What's So Funny?

My favorite kind of humor is a play on words. The English language has so many synonyms and homonyms that it’s easy to make jokes. I like to use them with my fourth graders to enrich their vocabulary.

I first started with jokes when I got a set of joke books as a gift one Christmas. I read and memorized lots of jokes and riddles and then drove my family insane with my delivery. To this day I strive to see the humor in situations so I can provide funny quips to make my friends laugh. Here’s an example:

Me: Knock Knock

You: Who’s there?

Me: Radio

You: Radio who?

Me: Radio not, here I come! (Ready or not, get it?)

My least favorite kind of humor is put down humor. Put down humor is actually a type of bullying. To make fun of someone and then say that you’re only joking is not acceptable. Put down humor hurts! Here’s an example:

Mary: You don’t know fractions? You’re stupid.

John: That’s not nice, I’m going to tell the teacher.

Mary: I’m just joking, silly.

Another type of humor that can get “old” is a kind of put down humor that is directed at one’s self. When you make fun of yourself, it tells others that it’s okay to make fun of you as well. This is very negative and people will start believing it or even worse, you will!  Here’s an example:

Imani: Oops, I forgot my homework. What a dummy!

Juan: Maybe we should start calling you “Dummy Imani.”

Have you ever been put down and then told the person was only joking?  Leave me a comment.