How Do You Tell A Man He's Not Funny?

"Are you ever banging out some chick and you're like, yeah! Non sequitur! Also, I'm relatable because I hate atheists."

Not everyone is good at jokes. Unfortunately, it’s always the least funny people who are angry if you don’t laugh. How best to diffuse the situation? Editors Jennifer Wright and Ashley Cardiff discuss.

Jennifer: So, I hesitated on whether to make this “how to tell men they aren’t funny” or how to tell an ambiguous “someone” (by someone, I meant people with ladybits) that they are not funny. And I think, in my experience, this is more something I feel a need to do with men because women aren’t really expected to be terribly funny. With so many articles about how “women aren’t funny!” it seems remarkable if a woman is funny at all. However, it seems that having to assure men that they are funny is like having to assure women that they are beautiful, except much more irritating because it is harder to lie.

Ashley: Wow. There’s really a lot to parse there. Let’s set women being funny aside because the whole morass of expectations and society and comedy being an infamous boy’s club and oh my god Christopher Hitchens. That is a black hole and this debate will just devolve into us screaming at each other and pratfalling urgently. I don’t have near enough banana peels for that. So, let’s talk about men who aren’t funny. Why don’t you begin?

Jennifer: Well, look, I’ve known a few men who I’ve thought were genuinely gut-burstingly hilarious. I’ve also known some who have pleasant, normal sense of humor. And I’ve known some that really aren’t terribly funny – to my mind! The problem is that every single one of these men thinks that he is gut burstingly hilarious. And I have a very hard time faking laughter.

Ashley: Oh man, things are about to get real normative.

Samantha_Escobar

This is the best use of Dane Cook’s image since Dane Cook became an image.
len132

I absolutely hate men (because in my experience it is always men) who say “that was a joke” in a really snippy way if I don’t laugh. I always want to follow it up with “I know. It wasn’t funny.” But no, that would be too mean.
JLW

As a guy who knowingly makes his fair share of bad puns, the best response to a bad joke is your natural reaction.

If it’s so bad it makes you laugh, do that. If it’s so bad it makes your face contort in unholy ways and your grimace looks like something the Grinch would wear on Christmas Eve, do that!

Hell, even say, “wow, that was terrible!” If your honesty can make yourself laugh or smile, then the guy should learn to get over himself and temper his sense of humor. If he’s really listening, he might even learn which jokes work and which don’t.

And if he can’t take that in stride… then you can probably determine he’s not all that mature to handle honest social situations.
MsBorgia

I had a friend who was a standup comic, and he a) wasn’t funny (his jokes were funny but his delivery was so bad it killed them), b) he ran new material all the time so you never knew if he was having a conversation or rehearsing a set, and c) he NEVER took anything you said seriously.

We are no longer friends.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.
Rachel

Do what I did: When they ask, “How come I never make you laugh?” Answer, “Because I’m funnier than you.” As long as you keep putting out, they don’t really care.

TheGloss

How Do You Tell A Man He Isn’t Funny?