Negative Jokes

I love humor, but then again, who doesn't? When I am in a lousy mood, one big belly laugh usually does the trick to snap me out of my funk. I tend to be an equal opportunity aficionado of humor as well. I love a good dry sense of humor - especially if the comedian happens to be a grandpa, particularly my grandpa. Then I love it even more. I love what I call academic humor, where you need some educational experience to understand the pun or have an excellent memory from your sixth grade history class. I love cheesy jokes which require a groan after the punchline has been given. I love kids lame-o jokes because you know the kids think they are funny.

There is one kind of humor which I feel is not funny at all. These are the kind of jokes that require a fake laugh that sometimes I cannot even muster because of how I loath them . . . the negative jokes. The term "negative jokes" is really an overarching umbrella for all jokes that are the snarky or rudely sarcastic where the "comedian" thinks it is funny but they generally poke fun at someone. These jokes usually have a truthful undertone that allows the person telling to joke to say what they are really feeling in a way that would make the victim seem like a whiny baby if they called the person out on it. These jokes tend to be used by people who like to make themselves look good at the expense of someone else and the victim always ends up feeling foolish. I will sheepishly admit that I tend to be the butt of these negative jokes due to my naivety. It honestly really bothers me because if you know me, you know I am naive so I feel like it is a cheap shot.

Don't get me wrong. I love sarcasm. Love it. It is a part of my personality. I remember one time my youth group went on a retreat. The guest speaker was talking about sarcasm and how we need to be careful in how we use it. My youth pastor literally leaned forward in his chair and eyed each one of his sarcastic youth. We of course thought he was being sarcastic and saw his act as funny. In an effort to do research for this blog (you're welcome) I tried to refrain from any sarcasm. My goal was to do this for a whole day. I forgot for a split second and ending up failing before I even had breakfast. It doesn't help that Troy is a fan of sarcasm as well. 

I guess I am a little bit of a humor snob, but at least I am a snob who wants to promote good over evil. Negative jokes or making someone feel stupid is a big no-no in Friends 101. Now obviously, in our culture, it is natural to embrace some form of sarcasm. As long as you know the other people isn't serious, minor ribbing is okay. You can dabble in this kind of humor if you are with excellent friends who know you're joking and if this is not your go-to humor tactic.

Or if you are Troy and all of our guys friends we grew up with from church (yes, church). For some reason, those guys can rip on each other and still stand up in each others weddings. I honestly think that when one of the guys tells another that he throws like a girl, what they really mean, "I love you, man."