Dad Jokes on Zoom; Are They Even Remotely Funny?

 It happens in every family Zoom call - somewhere between the male members in the family trying to speak, sing (and yes, maybe even fart) the loudest and "You're still muted, Aunt Gladys" - the dad joke gets unleashed. At first, everyone stares blankly at the Brady Bunch gallery-view window with the offender in it. In the meantime, he's thinking the pun is good, his delivery was confident and the joke inescapably funny. That's when the reaction happens: a chorus of eye-rolls, deep sighs and at least one "Really, Dad?"

And yet, the strangest thing happens. Even though everyone in the family audibly groaned at the joke like Grandpa trying get his head through the arm hole of his favorite polo shirt, it sticks around. It gets repeated. Mom tells it at work or to the members of her book club or cooking class. The teenager who rolled his eyes a week earlier is telling the same 'lame' joke to their friends in class, and they are laughing. Ironically, of course. There's no denying the truth, however: the joke has taken root.

Welcome to the bizarre, everlasting world of the dad joke.

What Is A Dad Joke, Anyway?

Unlike knock-knock jokes or your typical one-liners, the dad joke is less of a joke type and more like a joke lifestyle choice. It's the weaponized humor of the man who wears socks with sandals and is perfectly comfortable; who when called out for it says "Let me tell you a story about a rat's patootie..." and relates how he doesn't give one. The joke itself takes on a persona; stubborn, uncool, and indifferent to social trends. And it has absolutely no shame, regardless of length. They could be short. Think:

Did you hear about the guy who invented Lifesavers? He made a mint.

They could be a one-line pun:

Archaeologists dig it!

Or they could have a longer setup:

Julie Andrews, the star of Mary Poppins, said the make-up department made her wear a gaudy red lipstick that fell apart and gave her bad breath. That's right, her super-coloured-fragile-lipstick-gave-her-halitosis.

The result is laughter, as long as you count full-body cringes as a type of mirth. But you know what? A cringe, no matter how full-bodied, is still emotional interaction. That's probably the point: Dad jokes are more about the family dynamic than anything else.

Groans: The Universal Language of Love

Dad jokes are really like hugs set to words because they're corny, maybe sometimes mildly embarrassing, but ultimately an attempt to connect. Like my own, many dads use it as a means to engage without getting too close: "If I can't express my feelings openly I can at least make you smile - or groan trying."

Now, thanks to Zoom, the dad joke has found a much easier way to spread through (and possibly damage) the psyche of every member of the family in record time. Unfortunately, friends of the family who thought "Sure, it'll be great to catch up with all of you at the same time" are the collateral damage. Yes, folks, puns have been weaponized, because the internet can't buffer them away. The result is glorious, awkward, and quite possibly eternal.

When the screen freezes on someone halfway through talking, Dad is the only one we can 100% accurately guess as to where the conversation was going. He probably hasn't noticed the technical glitch because he's too busy saying something like "I used to play piano by ear; but now I use my hands."

The Intergenerational Eye Roll

Interestingly, the dad joke plays out across all generations in exactly the same way. The eye roll that happened an hour ago happened 25 years ago in the back of the family mini-van and happened 50 years ago at the dinner table on meatloaf night. It's that reliable.

And just as reliable: the eye-rolling children become eye-roll causing adults. The change is very subtle. One day they find themselves coming home after 12th grade Physics and think "I'm hungry," and then immediately respond, "Hi hungry, I'm Dad." Out loud. Even if they aren't a dad. Especially if they aren't a dad. 

And with that, birds sing, zebras bow, elephants bellow, and a rainbow-faced monkey holds a lion cub high in the air on top of a rock for all to see. The circle is complete. 

But why does this happen?

The Dad Joke Gene

Ok, so maybe the claim can't be made that dad jokes are genetic. But they might as well be. Because we absorb them from our environment, from our shared experiences, through years of car rides and walks to the beach and tossing around footballs and scaring mom when she's holding a carving knife. Maybe we can say they're part of our social DNA. And now they have a virtual platform, too.

One reason they stick is because they're safe. Though groan-inducing rather than side-splitting, they're rarely mean and don't need to be edgy to get their point (no matter how silly) across. In a meme-today, gone-tomorrow world the dad joke remains comforting in its consistency.

They're the comedic family photo album. Sure, some are a little embarrassing (like 3 year-old you pictured in your dad's work vest and your mom's shoes and nothing else while you're plunging the toilet) and some are corny, but they're all full of love.

Legacy Through Laughter

Funny thing about growing up human - we pass on the things we initially mock. We tease our parents for their choice in music but then cheer every time Sweet Caroline is played at a party because its' so good. So good. So good. We make fun of their dance moves until we catch ourselves doing the Travolta to Staying Alive, or dancing along to our favorite choregraphed scene in Mama Mia! We take issue with their dreams, until we too lie in bed with images of ourselves standing on top of a picnic table in cut-off jeans and checkered shirt surrounded by chanting monks throwing butter tarts and Bee Gee's records at us.............(Just us, Dad.) We roll our eyes at their expressions, only to find ourselves using them in stressful, or even tender, moments.

Dad jokes work the same way...breadcrumbs leading us back to our childhoods because they remind us of people who tried to make us laugh, even if it was awkwardly. Because we're reminded that effort means more than execution. We're also reminded that affection sometimes looks like a bad pun dropped in a chat window at the weirdest time.

The Punchline That Lingers

Yes, dad jokes on Zoom are remotely funny. More to the point, they're remotely familial. They cross generations and withstand sarcasm, withering gazes and even Gen Z slang. They get passed down, not because they're cool, but because they're warm.

Remember dads: the groan is just a laugh with teenage eyeliner on.

Someday, whether they want to or not, today's kids will pass on a dad joke to their kids, nieces or nephews - maybe even workmates and other innocents - and the cycle will continue. The eye roll will happen. The seed will be planted. 

The baton will have been passed. 

Connection is more important than comedy when it comes to dad jokes. They're the goofy scaffolding of affection, the awkward love language spoken in puns and said with a wink. At the family dinner table or unstable Zoom call, they remind you that someone is thinking of you and hoping to make you smile.

So, next time you hear one, don't just roll your eyes. Instead, think for a moment and recognize the emotional reach beyond the words. Somewhere in that clumsy, corny, oh so goofy punchline is a dad trying to say "I love you," in quite possibly the only way he knows how.

Know what? That might be the funniest thing of all.