History Main / AntiHumor

* ''Creator/KevinSpencer'' once told a joke like this:

* A RunningGag in ''Literature/WitchesAbroad'' is Granny Weatherwax, who has NoSenseOfHumor, trying to tell a joke about a man who ordered an alligator sandwich "and I want it right away!"

A third broader category of anti-humor is essentially a form of SurrealHumor where the punchline is completely unrelated to the set up. Not all SurrealHumor is anti-humor and not all anti-humor is SurrealHumor. Humor can be surreal while still following a formula or having a humorous internal consistency.

** One episode featured a round of ''Closed Quotes'' (the panellists get the start of a quote and have to finish it) where the quotes came from Christmas crackers.

** Sometimes if the topic for the final round is paticularly obscure, Graeme or Barry will do a series of deliberately lame non-puns, where they just replace a random word.

** In the BadFuture ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkPostCovid'', Jimmy's become a comedic TalkShow host but isn't allowed to tell any ''actual'' jokes due to PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad. It becomes a RunningGag where he seemingly sets up to tell an offensive joke but replaces the punchline with a compliment.

* The ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' WhamEpisode "Kenny Dies" takes an [[TheyKilledKennyAgain event]] that is usually PlayedForLaughs and [[PlayedForDrama plays it for drama]]. [[Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone The creators]] have [[WordOfGod gone on record]] to say that they "wanted to see how long they could go without telling a single joke."

* Perhaps the best-known joke in the English language is the ChickenJoke: "Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!" [[WeirdAlEffect Few people realize it now, but it was created as a subversion of older iterations of the joke]]. Because the original versions are now long forgotten, the anti-humor is less obvious, to the point that it can be seen as simply [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny unfunny]].

** A Season 16 episode's CouchGag had the family sit on the couch normally, had Lisa give a [[DefensiveWhat short defensive statement]] about how [[PeopleSitOnChairs people can just sit on couches sometimes]]... and then had Homer get impaled with a spear from nowhere. A case of anti-anti-humor.

** In "Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story", a cutback shows Peter launching himself into the air with a catapult. A guy is gushing about a bunch of fragile possessions, and Peter...lands harmlessly outside the man's window, instead of crashing into the house and wrecking his stuff.

* ''Comicbook/{{Horndog}}'' by creator/IsaacBaranoff had a strip where Bob the Dog is telling his friend that "God is 'dog' spelled backwards. I'm a dog, therefore I'm God."

'''A:''' Because they are extinct. [[https://www.keeplaughingforever.com/anti-jokes) ref]]

* Perhaps the best-known joke in the English language is the ChickenJoke: "Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!" [[WeirdAlEffect Few people realize it now, but it was created as a subversion of older iterations of the joke]]. Because the original versions are now long forgotten, the joke is simply [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny unfunny]].

* ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness''' Depressing Comic Weeks are either [[TearJerker very depressing]], or very depressing, yet (because of this trope) strangely funny.

'''A:''' [[BlackComedyRape Being raped.]][[note]]The normal punchline is "Finding ''half'' a worm in your apple.[[/note]]

->'''Q:''' What is worse than finding a worm in your apple?\\

Often this is simply done by playing the normally humorous situation straight, being [[LiteralMinded literal]] and truthful. For example, take the following, which sets up and then subverts a BaitAndSwitchComparison:

'''A:''' [[BlackComedyRape Being raped.]]

-->'''Danny''': A man walks into a bar - [[RealityEnsues his alcoholism is tearing this family apart]].

---->'''Danny:''' A man walks into a bar. [[RealityEnsues His alcohol dependency is tearing this family apart]].\\

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' has a RunningGag where each of the main characters sample a marijuana-legalization activist's weed and trip out appropriately. First Michael tries it and hallucinates getting attack by a swarm of aliens. Then Trevor has a taste and gets attacked by clowns. Then when it's finally Franklin's turn to smoke the hash...nothing happens. He just makes a remark on how weak it is.

->'''Joker:''' Knock knock.
->'''Murray:''' Who's there?
->'''Joker:''' It's the police, ma'am! Your son's been hit by a drunk driver. He's dead!

Anti-Humor is the practice of removing the expected punchline or joke from a familiar humorous situation and replacing it with something non-humorous and serious. The laugh is supposed to come from [[SubvertedTrope subverting]] the audience's expectations and [[CringeComedy making them uncomfortable]]; hence the name. Many comics get into anti-comedy--appropriately--after repeatedly bombing on-stage (see Andy Kaufman, Groucho Marx, Andrew Dice Clay). After awhile, they simply cease to give a crap about appeasing their audience and will intentionally troll people [[TheGadfly for their own amusement.]] As a result, anti-humour more closely resembles performance art than stand-up.

->'''Q:''' What is the difference between Senator Smith and a hippo?
->'''A:''' One is a large aggressive mammal dwelling in or near bodies of water. The other is a United States Senator.

->'''Q:''' What is worse than finding a worm in your apple?
->'''A:''' [[BlackComedyRape Being raped.]]

->'''Q:''' How many ducks does it take to change a light bulb?
->'''A:''' The defense rests.

-->'''Q:''' How come dinosaurs don't talk?
-->'''A:''' Because they're dead.

-->A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says "Hey, buddy, why the long face?" The horse solemnly replies "Well, my wife left me, my son committed suicide, and I just found out I have prostate cancer." The bartender looks up and exclaims "Holy shit! [[BreakingTheFourthWall I'm in the wrong joke!]]"

-->'''A:''' Knock, knock.
-->'''B:''' Who's there?
-->'''A:''' ''(silence)''

-->"My dog has no nose."
-->"Your dog has no nose?"
-->"Nope, no nose."
-->"How does he smell?"
-->"He can't; he has no nose!"

-->"Waiter! What's this fly doing in my soup?"
-->"Oh, I'm terribly sorry sir!"

-->So this policeman comes upon this guy on his hands and knees under a streetlight, fumbling around on the ground. "What's the matter?" says the policeman. "I'm looking for my keys," says the guy. "Is this where you dropped them?" asks the policeman, and the guy replies, "Yes".

--> Why did Sally fall off the swing?
--> Because she has no arms.
--> Knock Knock
--> Who's there?
--> [[BrickJoke Not Sally]]

-->Haikus are easy
-->But sometimes they don't make sense
-->Refrigerator

-->How many Germans does it take to change a lightbulb?
-->One. They are [[GermanicEfficiency efficient]] and [[GermanicDepressives humorless]].

--> Now I'll tell you a joke, but it's a bit hard to understand, so I warn you - you should laugh after word "shovel". A fly with a shovel flies by.
--> "Gentlemen hussars, here comes lieutenant Rzhevsky! He will tell unfunny jokes, as always! Laugh after word "shovel"!" Rzhevsky: "Gentlemen hussars, I've got a fresh joke! Once I came back home, and my wife is with my aide-de-camp! So, I slammed his head! Ha-ha!" "Lieutenant, what's so funny?" "Ah, I didn't say, with a shovel, shovel!"

--> 1) What is the difference between a gnu and a gnostic? A gnu is a large even-toed ungulate native to the African savannah, also known as a wildebeest; a gnostic is a member of a first-century religious movement that advanced the moral primacy of the spiritual world above the material.
--> 2) Did you hear about the Irish hydrometer? It didn't know how to measure the moistness of the atmosphere.

-->'''Joker''': Knock knock.
-->'''Murray''': Who’s there?
-->'''Joker''': It’s the police, ma’am. You’re son’s been hit by a drunk driver. He’s dead.

-->There was a young woman called Richards whose hobby was going to the pictures.
-->She liked Dumb and Dumber, and Gone With The Wind, but best of all she liked Saving Private Ryan.

-->'''Joel''': ''You know guys, this kinda reminds me -- I've been on a seafood diet lately.''
-->'''Servo''': ''Eh, really?''
-->'''Joel''': ''Yeah, I'm eating a lot of fish and shrimp and stuff like that.''
--> (The averted punchline is "I see food, I eat it.")

-->'''Ricky''': Knock, Knock
-->'''(Person antagonizing Ricky)''': Who's there?
-->'''Ricky''': Fuck off.

--> '''Creator/RichardAyoade:''' The way I like to tell a joke is for there to be no surprises within it. Or humor. I think that's quite trad, you know, actually trying to say something ''amusing'' in the joke. It's actually kind of pathetic and needy.
--> '''Jason Manford:''' I'm regretting those tickets for your arena tour.
--> '''Richard Ayoade:''' You know, you say that, and yet its very emptiness its its success. In order to fully succeed in this endeavor — and believe me, I am succeeding — no one must come.

--> '''Spudgun''': Hey! My wife's gone to the West Indies!
--> '''Eddie''': Really?
--> '''Spudgun''': Yeah, she went on Thursday! [''Beat''] It was funny in the pub.

--> '''Michael''': [[KnockKnockJoke Knock knock]]
--> '''Chidi''': Who's there?
--> '''Michael''': You died alone because you couldn't commit to anyone!
--> '''Jason''': "You died alone because you couldn't commit to anyone" [[ComicallyMissingThePoint who]]?

--> '''King Richard''': Three serfs walk into a pub. The first serf orders a hot grog. The second serf orders a hot grog. And the third serf orders a hot grog. But he has no money and neither do the other two ''because they're serfs''.

-->'''Q:''' ''Did you hear about the new pirate movie?''
-->'''A:''' ''No, what's it rated?''
-->'''Q:''' ''PG-13. They want to appeal to younger audiences, and pirates are really popular with that age group.''

-->'''Q:''' ''How many dull people does it take to screw in a light bulb?''
-->'''A:''' ''One.''

-->'''Humph:''' Why didn't the skeleton go to the disco?
-->'''Graeme:''' Because he was ''dead''.

-->'''Humph:''' What's the difference between a night watchman and a butcher?
-->'''Graeme:''' One ''guards'' the ''premises'', and the other sells meat.

-->"My dog's got no nose." "How does he smell?" "He doesn't."

-->'''Hamish''': Unless someone had stolen the tent?
-->'''Dougal''': Stolen the tent! That would be the funniest joke in the world, wouldn't it, if someone had stolen the tent![[note]]A version of this joke (see NotActuallyTheUltimateQuestion or FailedASpotCheck) had recently been voted exactly that, to the ridicule of a lot of comedians[[/note]]

-->'''Gryptype''': I thought I saw a Greek urn burried in the sand.
-->'''Moriarty''': What's a Greek urn?
-->'''Gryptype''': It's a vase made by Greeks for carring liquids.
-->'''Moriarty''': I wasn't expecting that answer.
-->'''Gryptype''': Neither were quite a few smart-alec listeners!

--> '''Super Mutant 1''': I have joke for you! Knock knock.
--> '''Super Mutant 2''': Who there?
--> '''Super Mutant 1''': Humans.
--> '''Super Mutant 2''': Humans who?
--> '''Super Mutant 1''': KILL THE HUMANS! KILL THEM ALL! AAAAAAUUUUUUUUGH!
--> '''Super Mutant 2''': HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That good one! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

-->'''Alucard''': ''(unleashes his Hellhound)'' Hey, ever heard of 'Updog'?
-->'''Walter''': ''(slices the Hellhound in half)'' Not much. How are you?
-->'''Alucard''': First you kill my dog, then you ''anti'' my ''fucking joke?!''

--> '''Waluigi (1st panel)''': This is Waluigi's first comic of the new series!
--> '''Waluigi (2nd panel)''': The third panel is the ''funny'' one.
--> '''Waluigi (3rd panel)''': *stands around and scratches the back of his neck*

-->'''Matt''': How does Franchise/{{Batman}}'s mother call him to the dinner table?
-->'''Igor''': She ''doesn't''! She was murdered in an alleyway like a ''dog'', you unfeeling, insensitive '''''GHOUL!'''''

-->'''Ed''': WELP! I guess you could say HE'S...
-->'''Ed''': ...dead.

-->'''Yami:''' Wait a minute, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn? That's against the rules, isn't it?
-->'''Kaiba:''' Actually, there are several situations in which summoning multiple monsters at once can be considered totally legal in this game.
-->'''Yami:'''...That...that wasn't very funny.
-->'''Kaiba:''' Why would it be funny? I'm just trying to explain how to play.
-->'''Yami:''' This is all kinds of wrong!

*** This was preceded by their playthrough of ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'' - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPFTeHEsAS4 both have been compiled into one video]].
---->'''Danny''': A man walks into a bar. [[RealityEnsues His alcohol dependency is tearing this family apart]].\\
'''Arin''': It's made funnier because it's like, personal, right? Like, it's somebody ''in'' the family saying it, but they just call him "a man".

-->'''Q:''' What did the elephant say to the poacher?
-->'''A:''' Dear God in heaven, please don't kill me for my ivory.
-->Sorry about that. Sometimes we get "joke" mixed up with "tragic imagined dialogue that could be happening at this very second if elephants had the power of speech."

-->1: Take a captioned screenshot from some movie or show
-->2: [[QuoteMine Selectively black out bits of the caption until it says something completely irrelevant]]
-->3: Post it on your favorite social media with a title to the effect of "How I react when [mundane event relevant to the new caption]"

-->'''Q:''' What's the difference between a hooker and a mop?
-->'''A:''' A mop never points at you and laughs and make you feel so dirty inside that you're sure your soul is crying. And then you lie awake at night in a sea of tears, praying for the blackness of your heart to wash over you and obliterate the cruel world around you, as you long for the welcome embrace of death to release you from the unending torment of your meaningless and cruel existence.

-->'''Q''' What do you get when you put an ice cream sundae in your mother's shoes?
-->'''A''' A spanking.

-->'''Dr. Rhino:''' I'm the only albino rhino gyno I know. Should we get some wine?
-->'''Princess Carolyn:''' Oh, great. You're also a wine addict.

->'''Joker:''' It's the police, ma'am! [[BlackComedy Your son's been hit by a drunk driver. He's dead!]]