Patterico's Pontifications

3/17/2007

I Am Just Kidding!

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 10:47 pm



If you’re reading this post, it means I’m just kidding with that thing I just said.

I have a rather deadpan sense of humor, both in real life and on the blog. The key to deadpan humor is that you don’t explain that you’re “just kidding,” since that takes the bite out of the humor. But the danger in deadpan humor is that if you don’t say you’re kidding, then someone will later accuse you of having been serious.

Hence this post. My strategy in the future will be to make my deadpan jokes without explaining that I’m joking — but to link to this post to prove to doubters that I really was.

38 Responses to “I Am Just Kidding!”

  1. I don’t get deadpan humor. There is no deadpan humor used in any of the law offices I know of, and I think such humor has no place on the interweb.

    If you try to use such humor, people will take you seriously, no matter what you assert. Such an action by the reader is appropriate and reasonable in all cases, and is entirely the fault of the writer.

    –JRM

    JRM (355c21)

  2. Reminds one of why The Weekly Standard labeled their last page PARODY, so there’d be no mistake…

    Tony Felckowski (055197)

  3. You’re kidding, right?

    Scott Jacobs (a1de9d)

  4. Seriosuly, though, I added a meta tag of ‘posts with lies’ for this very reason.

    David N. Scott (71e316)

  5. I know the above comments are more deadpan humor but I seriously think this is a good idea. Sarcasm and irony can make great humor but most of us use social cues (a wink, a nod, a sly grin) to pick up on that. The internet makes it hard to pick up on those cues so it’s easier to misunderstand. This is not only for Patterico’s protection but also to help those that aren’t regular readers or for people like me whose internet social cues sometimes fall short.

    DRJ (53e939)

  6. Jerry Lewis is represents my district…

    As such, that you were kidding was never in doubt!

    Dana (523af3)

  7. Jerry Lewis represents my district…

    As such, that you were kidding was never in doubt!

    (corrected typo….lest our district appear to grammatically challenged…)

    Dana (523af3)

  8. I once worked with a physician colleague well known for his deadpan humor. The problem was, it often took at least the training of a senior resident to “get it”. Many a student and intern had puzzled expressions on their faces, as they were questioning what they thought they knew about medicine. Usually someone would notice and inform the less experienced doctors in training that “he was joking”.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  9. Is this some kind of a joke? If it is, I don’t get it. Does deadpan mean not funny?

    Jon Swift (7f39c1)

  10. In the words of the old punchline…

    “…. THAT’S NOT FUNNY!”

    *rimshot*

    Dave (391b76)

  11. Deadpan conflicts with my slapstick sense of humor!

    rightisright (9dcb28)

  12. I very occasionally send emails to friends, relatives, and enemies.
    In the form of “deadpan humor” relative to current affairs.
    Which they often do not “get”. Not at ALL !

    I’m sorry, it’s usually due to their total lack of literary or historical knowledge.

    I should not do this, but I cannot resist.
    My bad.
    They be worse.
    REF: See: Dennis Miller.

    Dan Pursel (883ad4)

  13. It would have been better if he had beaten Dean Martin in the last election

    Mitchell Langbert (1d9288)

  14. Deadpan humor is when you make a joke or absurd comment with a straight face…sarcasm is when you say the opposite of what u really mean to drive home a point…seems to me that you are engaging in sarcasm. 😉

    nancy (33950b)

  15. April Fools!!!!!!!!!1

    Meatsss (eb94c1)

  16. Anytime you have to explain that you are being humorous, you are by definition, not funny.

    ed (438a8a)

  17. An April Fool’s Joke Backfires…

    It is with great embarrassment and humility that I offer my sincerest apologies for yesterday’s April Fool’s joke, which went horribly awry….

    Jon Swift (59ce3a)

  18. Love the comments

    pataz (56a0a8)

  19. i tried to be funny once, then i got hit by a dump truck

    mike (a78b44)

  20. Funny – I especially liked that you worked in the advisor speaking under condition of anonymity – that semms to be all the rage these days.

    Dean (a940a6)

  21. Welcome to the club, Patterico. I have always worked with numbers more than words and my sense of humor is dryer than popcorn flatulence. As well, I consider emoticons and smiley faces to be either a bit immature, sissy or for chicks ;^). Even if I use one it is always perceived in the wrong context. Needless to say, I’ll wager that we’re both extremely charming in person. Cheers.

    C. Norris (c2574c)

  22. its only right that you should
    play the way you feel it

    Vermont Neighbor (31ccb6)

  23. Deadpan? Or bedpan? In politics, the latter seems more appropriate.

    RE: Jerry Lewis is “The Disorderly Orderly.”

    Flagstaff (4d87c2)

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