Non-joke

A non-joke, is a joke of which the humor value comes from the fact that it is expected to be funny. Usually the joke itself is complete nonsense. Examples of non-jokes are

Johnny went in to the bakers and asked for a loaf of bread.

Baker: White or brown?

Johnny: It doesn't matter, I'm on my bike.

Johnny enters a bar and asks, "Do you know what time it is?"

Barkeeper: Yes.

Johnny: So do I.

Two nuns in a bath. One says "Pass the soap", and the other says,

"What am I, a radio?"

Often they come in the form of question-answer jokes:

Q: What is quicker, a hare or a rabbit?

A: An iceberg, because a camel has two humps.

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?

A: To get to the other side.

Q: What's the difference between an orange?

A: A cow, because a vest has no sleeves.

Q: What's the difference between a duck?

A: The left leg is identical.

Q: What is purple and, when thrown against the wall, causes the neighbor's phone to ring?

A: Coincidence.

Q: Why is a hare?

A: Because behind a tree.

The 2002 film Kung Pow: Enter the Fist contains an example of a non-joke told by Evil Betty.

Q: What do you get when you cross an owl with a bungee cord?

A: My ass.

When making a non-joke, it is vital that the audience expects a joke, because a non-joke an sich is not funny. This is one reason meta-jokes work better when told than when written.

See Also

• Anti-humor
• Meta-joke