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My uncle said I was being too careful with my joke, he was right and wrong at the same time
So at a family BBQ last summer, I made a lighthearted joke about my grandma's parking skills. My uncle pulled me aside and said 'never joke about family quirks at a gathering, people take it the wrong way.' I took his advice, but then everyone else was making similar jokes and getting laughs. Now I'm wondering if his advice was too cautious or if I just read the room wrong. Has anyone else gotten specific joke advice that turned out to be a total miss or a hidden gem?
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keith_bennett23d ago
Overthink it less - your joke probably bombed 'cause your timing was off, not the topic.
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moore.beth23d ago
Wait, you just made me rethink my whole approach to family jokes.
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logan52523d ago
Think about the specific joke and the family member you're telling it to. @moore.beth, my dad tells this same awful pun every Thanksgiving and it lands because we all groan together. Your audience in a family joke is literally your relatives, so knowing who laughs at what kind of humor is key. A joke about your aunt's cooking might bomb, but one about your uncle's tool collection could kill.
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