Here’s a hot take: dad jokes are actually quite a good genre of comedy. Say whatever you want, it takes skill, dedication and a particular level of creativity to come up with jokes that make you feel more than just laughter. Sure, it might be alarming quantities of pain, suffering, and overall cringe, but that just means the joke worked.
But, if you are truly worried about the devastating effects of dad jokes, no worries, Nickelodeon is way ahead of you and has actually posted a public service announcement to help push away the tide of deadly parental comedy.
Admit it, dad jokes aren't that bad. Sure, there are some stinkers, but they do have a certain charm to them
Image credits: Scribbler.com Images (not the actual photo)
Now, sure, this is a bit of an old news kind of affair since it was originally posted back in September of 2015, but the relevance of these kinds of PSAs is timeless. Even more so since the internet is still talking about this one to this day.
So, back in 2015, Nickelodeon came out with a 2-minute skit featuring a handful of kids sharing their traumatizing experiences with dad jokes. It’s all shot in the appropriately typical social ad style, including the sad music and medium shot montages to elicit sympathy and emotion.
Despite this, the devastating effects of dad jokes have to also be considered. That's why Nickelodeon took the concept and crafted a PSA on the dangers of dad jokes
Image credits: Nickelodeon
Image credits: Nickelodeon
The various kids tell their tales of how they became victims of dadly humor, opening up with this one kid who approached his dad and said he was hungry, only to be hit back with a “Hi, hungry, I’m dad.” Other jokes included veggie humor (“I pea'd on the table”), butt humor (in reference to the movie Constipation: “It never came out”), and epic classic “it takes ten tickles to make an octopus laugh.”
Each segment was followed by a traumatizing consequence of said jokes, which ranged from emotional to psychological to physical damage. Cue Steven He’s emotional damage meme. All of this culminates in the caption and quasi-call to action “Dad jokes: they’re nothing to laugh about.” I beg to differ, but better move on in this sea of letters.
The video showcases "victims" of dad jokes, sharing their punnily painful experiences growing up with "funny" dads
Image credits: Nickelodeon
Image credits: Nickelodeon
Image credits: Nickelodeon
Image credits: Nickelodeon
The original video was posted on a number of channels, including YouTube and Facebook where they got 955,000 and 14 million views respectively. But did it stop dad jokes altogether? Did it resonate with the sensible people of the world who would push for change in this comedically barren wasteland in which we need to resort to dad jokes and wreak havoc upon the young minds of the future? No, not really. Bored Panda is guilty of it too, like this list of dad jokes and this other list of dad jokes.
But it did leave a mark on the world. Otherwise, folks wouldn’t be talking about it any more. Just a few months ago, a kids' education Instagram account shared the clip, garnering over 500,000 likes. There was even a parody made about this by the Point Church, featuring adults reminiscing about the good old days when dads also loved to ruin their children’s lives in casual household settings.
Since its release, the video has accumulated over 15M views across several platforms
Image credits: Nickelodeon
Image credits: Nickelodeon
Image credits: Nickelodeon
Image credits: Nickelodeon
Ironically (and also jokingly) enough, folks did not stop with the dad jokes in the comment section(s). You know, things like “the Constipation joke was hard to digest” and “my dad told me he’s gonna buy me a tablet. Turns out, he meant pills.” You know, the classic good stuff.
Others were quick to point out other important things to note about the comedic phenomenon. Mostly that this is a rite of passage for young folk, overcoming the adversity that is psychic damage through comedy, and that they become stronger because of it.
You can check out the entire 2-minute PSA below
Image credits: Nickelodeon
And speaking of dads themselves, one commenter noted that they actually sent them the Constipation joke to see if it works backwards. Heh, it did, if you define what did means in this context: the dad actually believed that the movie actually exists.
There were those who took the PSA seriously (with reason, they did understand that it’s satire), agreeing with the message. One commenter claimed that this is the reason why kids end up resenting their parents. It’s all great fun, though.
Image credits: Tatiana Syrikova (not the actual photo)
So, back by popular demand (probably, I don’t know, Bored Panda hosts dozens upon dozens of these lists, so, you be the judge), let’s desensitize ourselves with some dad jokes so that we’ll be prepared for them next time:
When does a joke turn into a dad joke? When it becomes apparent.
I was wondering why this frisbee kept looking bigger and bigger. Then it hit me.
Can a kangaroo jump higher than a house? Of course. Houses can’t jump.
What’s brown and sticky? A stick.
Why don’t skeletons ever go trick or treating? Because they have no body to go with.
What’s the best time to go to the dentist? Tooth hurt-y!
Why did the coffee file a police report? It got mugged.
What sound does a witch's car make? Broom Broom.
OK, now it’s your turn. Transform the comment section into a joke fest so magnificent, even dads will think you’re bad-dads.
You can bet what the comment sections looked like once folks online were done with them
