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Key points
- Jokes are ever-present, but especially so on the first of April.
- For a joke to be seen as funny, it should violate a norm.
- Violating norms can be risky and backfire on the joke teller.
As April Fools’ Day is just around the corner, when better to look at the psychology of jokes? Over the years, April Fools’ Day has become larger than life, especially with social media spreading jokes at a rapid rate. Whilst it may be seen as just a bit of fun, there is more to jokes and humour than may be apparent, begging the question: are the jokes on the 1st of April a good or a bad idea?
Every year, companies, individuals, papers, and newsreaders present jokes on the 1st of April that may be entertaining, a bit confusing, and at times causing an unexpected upheaval. One announcement made in 1949, on a radio station in New Zealand, that a mile-wide swarm of wasps was headed for Auckland, was perhaps taken a bit too seriously. The news came with helpful advice on how to prepare for the incoming insects and it resulted in many tucking their trousers into their socks as well as setting honey traps outside their doors. Other examples of April Fool’s Day jokes include a claim that Stephen King would run for governor of Maine and that Heinz was launching a chocolate-flavoured mayonnaise.
Sometimes, though, April Fool’s Day jokes are simply not viewed as funny. For example, a joke by Hooters ended up in litigation as one of their servers thought she had won a new Toyota car. Instead, upon collection, she was given a Yoda doll.
What makes something funny?
This is a million-dollar question and one that is not easily answered. First, it is worth noting that people have different opinions about what is humorous. It is influenced by the context, the culture, and subjective perspectives, meaning that it is not consistent across populations. However, there are aspects of jokes that may determine, more broadly, if they are funny.
If a joke is violating a norm or rule of some kind, it is more likely to be perceived as funny. Such violations need to be benign, as they can otherwise be perceived to be unpleasant or even revolting. What determines whether it is benign is linked to how bad something is and how far removed we are from it. In terms of personal experience, serious events may be considered funnier over time, while stubbing a toe, which would be considered a minor violation, would lose its comedic effect over time.
Interestingly, people have been found to be more likely to laugh when they are near others compared to when they are alone. Children, in particular, have been found to laugh much more when they are with others, suggesting that laughter may be a social signal rather than a direct response to humour.
Not just for fun
Jokes and laughter may seem frivolous but can, in fact, serve social functions like managing strong emotions such as embarrassment and showing affiliation. Humour can also be used to cope in work environments. For example, studies have found that there is a meaningful function of humour in healthcare settings. It can have a beneficial effect on patient-carer interaction as it strengthens the connection between the two and eases stressful symptoms linked to end-of-life care among palliative care nursing professionals.
Humour can also function as a facilitator in insight problem-solving. The rationale for this relates to attentional processes, in that humour relieves stress. By doing so, it dilutes the degree of attention being devoted to the problem and, in turn, stimulates the problem solver's “peripheral focus,” destabilizing perceptual and thought patterns, thus helping people to change their perspective to restructure the problem.
Humour can be risky
Because jokes can be misunderstood in cross-cultural settings, it has been suggested that they should be used cautiously, especially if used in political or diplomatic settings. Couple this with the fact that humour requires a violation and it can be a risky tactic, especially as perceptions of appropriateness are subjective.
Risky jokes may also be seen differently by people over time. This is something research has not really explored. For example, in 2021, David Letterman faced backlash for an interview he had conducted with Lindsay Lohan in 2013. At the time, the audience had laughed at his repeated questions about her going to rehab. However, eight years later, his comments were seen as offensive. Possibly, this means that risky jokes made by companies or individuals for April Fool’s Day can cause the teller to lose status, raising some questions about whether it is good PR to engage in joke telling, even if it is for April Fool’s.
The fact that humour can generate valuable results when integrated into daily life means that telling jokes and making people smile or laugh can have a positive impact, though it is important to ensure that any violations made are not significant enough to damage your future reputation.
