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--->'''Ted:''' Like a bisexual.
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* From ''Superjail''
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** Also happens in "Can't Stan You," when Stan convinces the government to force his neighbors out of their houses.
--->'''Stan:''' There goes the neighborhood! (laughs) [[DiscriminateAndSwitch Ordinarily that would have racist implications]], [[LampshadeHanging but I've actually done something far worse]].
* From''Superjail'' ''Superjail''
--->'''Stan:''' There goes the neighborhood! (laughs) [[DiscriminateAndSwitch Ordinarily that would have racist implications]], [[LampshadeHanging but I've actually done something far worse]].
* From
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** And when Barney hits on a girl in a hula dancer costume at Halloween:
-->'''Barney:''' So, what does a guy have to do to get ''laid'' around here?
-->'''Hula Girl:''' Riiight. 'Cause I'm wearing a lay. ''(walks away from him)''
-->'''Barney:''' ''(angrily)'' It's not funny if you explain the joke!
-->'''Barney:''' So, what does a guy have to do to get ''laid'' around here?
-->'''Hula Girl:''' Riiight. 'Cause I'm wearing a lay. ''(walks away from him)''
-->'''Barney:''' ''(angrily)'' It's not funny if you explain the joke!
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[[caption-width-right:350:He [[BerserkButton does not like]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment people who explain their jokes]], [[CaptainObvious because his name is]] TheJoker.]]
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Contrast StealthPun (where absolutely no explanation is given), AmIRight, and NoSenseOfHumor. See also LeaveThePlotThreadsHanging. Not at all like No Soap, Radio jokes, where the whole point is that the listener doesn't get the joke. [[LampshadeHanging Oh, wait, did I just explain the joke?]].
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Contrast StealthPun (where absolutely no explanation is given), AmIRight, and NoSenseOfHumor. See also LeaveThePlotThreadsHanging. Not at all like No Soap, Radio AntiHumor jokes, where the whole point is that the listener doesn't get the joke. [[LampshadeHanging Oh, wait, did I just explain the joke?]].
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** It's possible that Billy is messing with Hawkins on both occasions since he sometimes parodies his own role as TheStoic from time to time.
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He\'s not addressing the audience. This is the correct trope
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** The third movie was particularly rotten with this trope. Near the end, it cuts to ''TheOsbournes'' and has them deconstruct the running gag of people seeing the spaceship and using sexual euphemisms to describe it (and demonstrating it by calling them boobs for doing the same joke twice). A previous scene features a Japanese exec who speaks subtitled Japanese, but parts of the subtitled sentences are blocked by conveniently placed objects to make the remarks look offensive ("Please eat some shit[[spoiler:take mushrooms]]", "Your ass[[spoiler:ignment]] is [[spoiler:an un]]happy [[spoiler:one]]", "I have a huge rod[[spoiler:ent problem.]]"); the scene ends with Austin(who doesn't understand Japanese, [[BreakingTheFourthWall so is forced to read the subtitles]]) finally getting fed up and suggesting that the conversation switches to English to avoid any more misunderstandings, then flashing a big grin.
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** The third movie was particularly rotten with this trope. Near the end, it cuts to ''TheOsbournes'' and has them deconstruct the running gag of people seeing the spaceship and using sexual euphemisms to describe it (and demonstrating it by calling them boobs for doing the same joke twice). A previous scene features a Japanese exec who speaks subtitled Japanese, but parts of the subtitled sentences are blocked by conveniently placed objects to make the remarks look offensive ("Please eat some shit[[spoiler:take mushrooms]]", "Your ass[[spoiler:ignment]] is [[spoiler:an un]]happy [[spoiler:one]]", "I have a huge rod[[spoiler:ent problem.]]"); the scene ends with Austin(who doesn't understand Japanese, [[BreakingTheFourthWall [[MediumAwareness so is forced to read the subtitles]]) finally getting fed up and suggesting that the conversation switches to English to avoid any more misunderstandings, then flashing a big grin.
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A special case of MeasuringTheMarigolds. Compare IfYouKnowWhatIMean (a close cousin of Variant 3), JustJokingJustification. Often goes with an IncrediblyLamePun, and is how such pun can lead to a CollectiveGroan.
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'''Do not confuse this for giving the context. This is actually explaining the punchline, not the setup. That also means don't pothole this for the necessary information.'''
Aspecial case SubTrope of MeasuringTheMarigolds. MeasuringTheMarigolds.
Compare IfYouKnowWhatIMean (a close cousin of Variant 3), JustJokingJustification. Often goes with an IncrediblyLamePun, and is how such pun can lead to a CollectiveGroan.
A
Compare IfYouKnowWhatIMean (a close cousin of Variant 3), JustJokingJustification. Often goes with an IncrediblyLamePun, and is how such pun can lead to a CollectiveGroan.
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* In TVTropes, tropers tend to actually "explain" the joke at times and {{Pothole}} the entire explanation to this page.
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* In TVTropes, tropers will actually "explain" the joke and {{Pothole}} the entire explanation to this page.
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* In TVTropes, tropers will tend to actually "explain" the joke at times and {{Pothole}} the entire explanation to this page.
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* In TVTropes, tropers will actually "explain" the joke and {{Pothole}} the entire explanation to this page.
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* [[WhoseLineIsAnyway "It's like puddle, but ''spelled differently!''"]]
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* [[WhoseLineIsAnyway [[WhoseLineIsItAnyway "It's like puddle, but ''spelled differently!''"]]spelled differently!"]]
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* [[WhoseLineIsAnyway "It's like puddle, but ''spelled differently!''"]]
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Explaining the joke in a Corollary to a trivial point.
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## Corollary: Sometimes the teller also has the dimmest idea too. This troper thought the actual punchline of the joke was that the chicken died to get to "THE OTHER SIDE(tm)" . . . right?
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restoring caption that, while not required, is funny
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%% No caption required.
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Natter, and personal comment. Both are not to be on pages.
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*** YMMV, this troper thought that just made those scenes funnier.
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*** YMMV, this troper thought that just made those scenes funnier.
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## A subset of this is for the humor to be derived from what the listener finds funny about the joke (See the Up example under films).
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* Black* Star of ''SoulEater'' sometimes overexplains the meaning of his jokes... which is necessary, because they're pretty incomprehensible.
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* Black* Star Black*Star of ''SoulEater'' sometimes overexplains the meaning of his jokes... which is necessary, because they're pretty incomprehensible.
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*** For some justification, Willikins was reading the newspaper aloud to Vimes because he was busy, and wanted to read it at the same time he shaved.
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* Two words: Dane Cook.
** Cook has nothing on BoBurnham, who spends a large chunk of his raps explaining the rapid-fire jokes that make them up, from why a girl dating a "large" man should wear African neck rings to interrupting a love song portraying him as a southern aristocrat in a relationship with one of his slaves to explain that he'd still have to work her full time because "there's a difference between romantic language and complete disregard for socio-economic trends."
** Cook has nothing on BoBurnham, who spends a large chunk of his raps explaining the rapid-fire jokes that make them up, from why a girl dating a "large" man should wear African neck rings to interrupting a love song portraying him as a southern aristocrat in a relationship with one of his slaves to explain that he'd still have to work her full time because "there's a difference between romantic language and complete disregard for socio-economic trends."
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* Two words: Dane Cook.
** Cook has nothing on BoBurnham, whoBoBurnham spends a large chunk of his raps explaining the rapid-fire jokes that make them up, from why a girl dating a "large" man should wear African neck rings to interrupting a love song portraying him as a southern aristocrat in a relationship with one of his slaves to explain that he'd still have to work her full time because "there's a difference between romantic language and complete disregard for socio-economic trends."
** Cook has nothing on BoBurnham, who
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** Subverted, the real joke in that quote isn't explained though.
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* [[http://www.flyingmanandfriends.com/ Flying Man and Friends]] averts this trope. It NEVER explains the joke. Do you understand what is happening in [[http://www.flyingmanandfriends.com/?m=20090921 this strip]]?
** Not at all what in the world is this guy trying to imply?
** Not at all what in the world is this guy trying to imply?
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* One of the biggest criticisms of ''CtrlAltDel'' is that its author, Tim Buckley, seems insistent on explaining each and every joke in minute detail through [[WallsOfText walls upon walls of unnecessary character dialogue]]. Most of the time the {{punchline}} is already blurted out in the first panel, and the other three panels are then dedicated solely to dancing around the joke.
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* A series of ''RoosterTeeth'' comics featuring the guys involved in an escalating prank war culminates with them in the hospital calling a truce they ''clearly'' don't intend to keep. One of the first comments on it? "I like how they're all holding weapons." You, sir-slash-madame, are a master of observation.
** It's funny because he's not really a master of observation! He's merely stating the obvious!
*** [[OverlyLongGag It's funny because he's deliberately invoking this trope on the same page it's being discussed in!]]
*** It's funny because he's continuing the joke [[OverlyLongGag beyond what could reasonably be considered "still funny"]], and then explaining it ''more'' with the [[PotHole page link]] on the very page that's entirely ''about'' [[DontExplainTheJoke not explaining the joke!]]
*** It's funny becau... [[HomestarRunner *arrowded* ]]
** It's funny because he's not really a master of observation! He's merely stating the obvious!
*** [[OverlyLongGag It's funny because he's deliberately invoking this trope on the same page it's being discussed in!]]
*** It's funny because he's continuing the joke [[OverlyLongGag beyond what could reasonably be considered "still funny"]], and then explaining it ''more'' with the [[PotHole page link]] on the very page that's entirely ''about'' [[DontExplainTheJoke not explaining the joke!]]
*** It's funny becau... [[HomestarRunner *arrowded* ]]
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* In a fan translation of the ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' manga, during the part where they're reading Kafuka's 'impossible goals list', we see that her third answer is some sort of obscure creature, confusing Nozomu and Jinroku. The translation includes a small footnote which explains what this creature is. Helpful, but ruins most of the joke...
** This happens a lot with translations, especially in print where the explanation can be given without interupting the flow of the story. AzumangaDaioh has a lot of this as well, as does [[MahouSenseiNegima Negima]], as both rely on puns for a large amount of the humor. In fact, the [[MahouSenseiNegima Negima]] volumes have a section in the back that explain the original joke, which usually helps more often than not as most of the jokes are translated pretty well, so it doesn't come up too often.
* In ThisWiki, tropers will actually "explain" the joke and {{Pothole}} the entire explanation to this page.
** [[DontExplainTheJoke This could be variation of the "Post Modern mockery" of this trope.]]
*** You see, that last point makes a meta-reference...
** Then there are all those tropers who obsessively PotHole every ArsonMurderAndJaywalking joke they make to the ArsonMurderAndJaywalking page...
** IncrediblyLamePun. Even for a pun that isn't immediately obvious, it's better to use AWorldwidePunomenon.
** This happens a lot with translations, especially in print where the explanation can be given without interupting the flow of the story. AzumangaDaioh has a lot of this as well, as does [[MahouSenseiNegima Negima]], as both rely on puns for a large amount of the humor. In fact, the [[MahouSenseiNegima Negima]] volumes have a section in the back that explain the original joke, which usually helps more often than not as most of the jokes are translated pretty well, so it doesn't come up too often.
* In ThisWiki, tropers will actually "explain" the joke and {{Pothole}} the entire explanation to this page.
** [[DontExplainTheJoke This could be variation of the "Post Modern mockery" of this trope.]]
*** You see, that last point makes a meta-reference...
** Then there are all those tropers who obsessively PotHole every ArsonMurderAndJaywalking joke they make to the ArsonMurderAndJaywalking page...
** IncrediblyLamePun. Even for a pun that isn't immediately obvious, it's better to use AWorldwidePunomenon.
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** ** [[http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=18 That's not what she said. Last night. When I had SEX with her!]]
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Took out the iPhone example under advertising, because the commercial wasn\'t really a joke.
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* In a 2010 iPhone commercial, the lady seen on the phone's screen says, "Well, you know that... thing... we've been working on for a while now?" Even though the tone of voice and the spoken line are pretty obvious that the woman is pregnant, the lady then says, "You're going to be a dad."
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%% No caption required.
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Caption is not required — image supports the trope by itself, and has text already.
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[[caption-width-right:350:He [[BerserkButton does not like]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment people who explain their jokes]], [[CaptainObvious because his name is]] TheJoker.]]
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-->'''Arite:''' I know what you mean!
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** But then, Data is well known for literally not having a sense of humor, [[HypocriticalHumor so his failure to get the joke is, in fact, the joke]]. (Which, of course, makes one wonder why LaForge tried telling him a joke in the first place.)
*** Another example took place in the [[StarTrekVoyager Voyager]] episode Workforce, where the crew is brainwashed by an alien society and used as part of its...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well, yeah]]
*** Another example took place in the [[StarTrekVoyager Voyager]] episode Workforce, where the crew is brainwashed by an alien society and used as part of its...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well, yeah]]
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** But then, Data is well known for literally not having a sense of humor, [[HypocriticalHumor so his failure to get the joke is, in fact, the joke]]. (Which, of course, makes one wonder why LaForge [=LaForge=] tried telling him a joke in the first place.)
*** Another example took place in the [[StarTrekVoyager Voyager]] episodeWorkforce, "Workforce", where the crew is brainwashed by an alien society and used as part of its...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well, yeah]]
*** Another example took place in the [[StarTrekVoyager Voyager]] episode
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-->''(The others stare at him blankly)''
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-->''(The others stare at him blankly)''blankly.)''
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-->''(The others keep staring at him blankly)''
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-->''(The others keep staring at him blankly)''blankly.)''
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-->''[[RuleOfThree (The others keep staring at him blankly)]]''
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-->''[[RuleOfThree (The others keep staring at him blankly)]]''blankly.)]]''
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* A variation on {{Angel}}. The Host (who has green skin) tells everyone his name is Lorne, but he doesn't use it for obvious reasons.
--> Angel: "Right, like Lorne Greene." (The others stare at him blankly) "You know, from {{Bonanza}}." (Everyone still stares blankly) "Come on, that show had 15 seasons!" ([[RuleOfThree Everyone still stares blankly]]) "I feel old."
--> Angel: "Right, like Lorne Greene." (The others stare at him blankly) "You know, from {{Bonanza}}." (Everyone still stares blankly) "Come on, that show had 15 seasons!" ([[RuleOfThree Everyone still stares blankly]]) "I feel old."
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* A variation on {{Angel}}. The ''{{Angel}}'': the Host (who has green skin) tells everyone his name is Lorne, but he doesn't like to use it for obvious reasons.
--> Angel: "Right, -->'''Angel''': Right, like Lorne Greene." (The Greene!
-->''(The others stare at himblankly) "You blankly)''
-->'''Angel''':You know, from{{Bonanza}}." (Everyone still stares blankly) "Come ''{{Bonanza}}''.
-->''(The others keep staring at him blankly)''
-->'''Angel''': Come on, [[LongRunners that show had 15seasons!" ([[RuleOfThree Everyone still stares blankly]]) "I seasons]]!
-->''[[RuleOfThree (The others keep staring at him blankly)]]''
-->'''Angel''': ...I feel old."
-->''(The others stare at him
-->'''Angel''':You know, from
-->''(The others keep staring at him blankly)''
-->'''Angel''': Come on, [[LongRunners that show had 15
-->''[[RuleOfThree (The others keep staring at him blankly)]]''
-->'''Angel''': ...I feel old.
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--->Anya: And then the duck tells the doctor that there's a man that's attached to my ass! You see, it was the duck and not the man that spoke.
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-->'''Willow:''' Should I be watching my occipital lobe?
-->'''Buffy:''' Your what?
-->'''Willow:''' Occipital, the lobe in the back of your brain? You know, like, should I be watching my back? But, you know, the back of your brain.
-->'''Buffy:''' Apparently not.
*** Even more funny because the occipital lobe contains the brain's visual processing centers. Which process the watching. Of the back. Of the brain.
-->'''Buffy:''' Your what?
-->'''Willow:''' Occipital, the lobe in the back of your brain? You know, like, should I be watching my back? But, you know, the back of your brain.
-->'''Buffy:''' Apparently not.
*** Even more funny because the occipital lobe contains the brain's visual processing centers. Which process the watching. Of the back. Of the brain.
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*** Even
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-->Anya: And then the duck tells the doctor that there's a man that's attached to my ass! You see, it was the duck and not the man that spoke.
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** In season 2 of ''DrKatzProfessionalTherapist'', Stanley tells Dr. Katz that he has "stop explaining the joke."
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** In season 2 2, episode 1 of ''DrKatzProfessionalTherapist'', Stanley tells Dr. Katz tries to explain a joke to Julie, noting that he has "stop "it works on so many levels." Stan tells him "You gotta stop explaining the joke.joke. If you do that, life's not worth living."
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** In season 2 of ''DrKatzProfessionalTherapist'', Stanley tells Dr. Katz that he has "stop explaining the joke."
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[[redirect:{{ptitle0t9r68ih}}]]
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[[caption-width-right:350:He [[BerserkButton does not like]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment people who explain their jokes]], [[CaptainObvious because his name is]] TheJoker.]]
->''"Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. You understand it better but the frog dies in the process."''
-->-- '''E. B. White'''
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side!
[[SelfDemonstratingArticle Get it? It's funny because]] [[AntiHumor the punchline is straightforward]] and doesn't lead to the comical resolution the audience expects.
[[ChirpingCrickets ...]]
Explaining a joke, for better or worse, can come in a number of variants:
# Someone doesn't get the joke, and has to have it explained. Then again, that doesn't actually kill the joke. It was already dead, since the listener didn't get it in the first place. It can still work, but only if the joke actually is that someone doesn't get the joke. (This includes private in-jokes which even intelligent people would never understand without explanation.) Sometimes that someone tries to guess at what the joke is until everyone becomes exasperated and actually has to explain the joke instead of offering subtle hints which make that someone even more confused.
# Explaining the joke with no prompting. This may be done as an attempt at PostModernism, but it's usually done with jokes that wouldn't need any explaining. It can still work if the explanation is tongue in cheek, but YourMileageMayVary on how actually funny it is. Sometimes [[SoUnfunnyItsFunny the real joke is about killing the joke by explaining it]] (cf. HypocriticalHumor).
# Explaining the joke actually is part of the joke, and by "part of the joke", I mean, "have sex with me".
# The joke-teller or writer has a tin ear for comedic timing, and overdoes the joke without knowing better.
# The ''listener'' has only the dimmest idea of what constitutes humor, and will blurt out the punchline to ensure that everyone knows s/he's got a sense of humor and they were laughing at something funny.
## A subset of this is for the humor to be derived from what the listener finds funny about the joke (See the Up example under films).
# The joke is [[GermanHumour German]], where a lot of jokes are explained in the end, for some reason (usually a foreigner making a clueless face).
Note that the lines between these can be blurred. And despite the title, sometimes you can get away with explaining the joke. A way is hinting to the pertinent parts of the joke. That way you don't have to actually explain it completely.
It's very common to have the character explaining the joke wink at the audience, which can lead to homicidal mania towards winks.
A special case of MeasuringTheMarigolds. Compare IfYouKnowWhatIMean (a close cousin of Variant 3), JustJokingJustification. Often goes with an IncrediblyLamePun, and is how such pun can lead to a CollectiveGroan.
Contrast StealthPun (where absolutely no explanation is given), AmIRight, and NoSenseOfHumor. See also LeaveThePlotThreadsHanging. Not at all like No Soap, Radio jokes, where the whole point is that the listener doesn't get the joke. [[LampshadeHanging Oh, wait, did I just explain the joke?]].
----
!!Examples: Please note that this isn't a JustBugsMe for bad jokes.
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Advertising]]
* There is a 2009 T-Mobile commercial with a part where the customer is in her dummy studio and states that she wants a phone plan that "...doesn't cost one of these and one of these." while holding up a dummy arm and leg then immediately stating that they are in fact "...an arm and a leg."
* In a 2010 iPhone commercial, the lady seen on the phone's screen says, "Well, you know that... thing... we've been working on for a while now?" Even though the tone of voice and the spoken line are pretty obvious that the woman is pregnant, the lady then says, "You're going to be a dad."
* A Cheez-It commercial does this with the cheese before it "matures" when a cheesewheel asks, "What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho cheese! Get it? It's not your cheese, but I said 'nacho.'"
* From a commercial for a certain pizza chain:
-->'''Basketball Coach:''' Now if only Pizza Hut could do something about their free-throw percentage.
-->'''Player 1:''' Hey!
-->'''Player 2:''' What?
-->'''Basketball Coach:''' It's bad.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga ]]
* ''KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' has a RunningGag that if anyone comes up behind Miu, she'll throw them. ''Every single time'' this occurs, there's a [[FootnoteFever little caption box]] that says something like "Miu has a habit of throwing anyone standing behind her". It gets to the point that the caption itself is its own RunningGag.
* In the beginning of the 26th episode of ''ExcelSaga'', Excel has an argument with director Nabeshin about making a musical episode (musicals, after all, take a lot of effort to produce). They conduct this argument while singing the melodies of the series' music. At the end of this segment, Hyatt chimes in, noting that it's already a musical (with Hyatt's enigmatic personality, it may be variant 4 or 5, though).
* ''{{Pokemon}}'s'' dub is absolutely rife with bad puns, and sometimes Lampshades this. "Looks like I'm all in one...PEACE! Haha, see, it's funny, because I'm making a "peace" sign!"
* Black* Star of ''SoulEater'' sometimes overexplains the meaning of his jokes... which is necessary, because they're pretty incomprehensible.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Shown in the Trope Image: in ''Mad Love'', Harley Quinn tries to explain the {{deathtrap}} she built for Batman and how it is humorous (thus meeting Jokers standards for batman having a hilarious death), but it backfires -- partly due to this trope and partly because of Joker's conviction that he is [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou the only one allowed to defeat Batman]]. Faithfully done in the ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode based on the one-shot comic.
* Given the stuff he [[ViewersAreGeniuses thinks he doesn't need to explain]], it's surprising that AlanMoore does this in the ''LeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen: The Black Dossier'' story "What Ho, Gods of the Abyss!" The idea that Gussie Fink-Nottle can continue operating without a brain is fairly obviously a comment on [[JeevesAndWooster the Wooster set]] being "brainless" to start with; it doesn't need to be followed by Mina and Allan explaining it to each other.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* Almost all of the subtle, amusing jokes of the original books are painfully explained by Rose Potter in ''FanFic/TheGirlWhoLived.''
* [[MyImmortal "Geddit cuz im goffik?"]]
** Except sometimes, it's actually necessary to detect the presence of [[AWorldWidePunomenon an attempted joke.]] Sadly, those are the ones that ''aren't'' explained, merely marked with a [[LampshadeHanging "geddit?"]]
* ''AvatarsIIWhenQwaritchTakesRevenge'': "It was a long flight so [[ColonelBadass he]] put on You Could Be Mine by [[{{Ptitlewiz5pz1p}} Guns an Roses]] (get it because that song was in [[{{Terminator}} The Terminator II]] which was also by JamesCameron so its an injoke!)"
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film]]
* In the first ''AustinPowers'' movie, one of the evil spies (an Irishman with a charm bracelet that has a unique trinket on it for every man he kills and is of vital interest to international law enforcement) proclaims "they're always after me lucky charms!" which causes the audience and everyone sitting at the table with him to snicker. He asks why everyone always laughs when he says that, and Frau Farbissina tries to tell him about the commercials. Her ridiculous description of the commercials (in reality an ad-lib that was [[ThrowItIn Thrown In]]) doesn't help him one bit.
** The third movie was particularly rotten with this trope. Near the end, it cuts to ''TheOsbournes'' and has them deconstruct the running gag of people seeing the spaceship and using sexual euphemisms to describe it (and demonstrating it by calling them boobs for doing the same joke twice). A previous scene features a Japanese exec who speaks subtitled Japanese, but parts of the subtitled sentences are blocked by conveniently placed objects to make the remarks look offensive ("Please eat some shit[[spoiler:take mushrooms]]", "Your ass[[spoiler:ignment]] is [[spoiler:an un]]happy [[spoiler:one]]", "I have a huge rod[[spoiler:ent problem.]]"); the scene ends with Austin(who doesn't understand Japanese, [[BreakingTheFourthWall so is forced to read the subtitles]]) finally getting fed up and suggesting that the conversation switches to English to avoid any more misunderstandings, then flashing a big grin.
** "I like to see girls of that... caliber. By "caliber," of course, I refer to both the size of their gun barrels and the high quality of their characters... Two meanings... caliber... it's a homonym..."
** The third movie starts right away with this. The joke in the opening is that we're watching an Austin Powers movie starring TomCruise, one of the most recognizable humans alive, and the movie helpfully labels him. It does the same to Kevin Spacey and Danny [=DeVito=], as well as Gwyneth Paltrow, putting her character's name on screen one second after she said it. Cut away to StevenSpielberg, who is not only in a chair labeled "Steven Spielberg", but is referred to by Austin by name, with his job helpfully mentioned. It gets better. When Austin sees BritneySpears, he helpfully yells, "It's Britney Spears!" Oddly enough, when Quincy Jones appears, he is not introduced, despite being the only one of those cameos the average 2002 moviegoer wasn't likely to know.
*** Not true:
---> '''Austin''': "Ladies and gentlement, Mr. Quincy Jones! This is where the film gets its mojo baby!"
** Oh, just choose ''any'' Mike Myers film these days.
*** ''TheLoveGuru'': "Bring me alligator soup, and make it snappy! ...See, 'snappy', because it's 'alligator' soup. And also because I want it 'promptly'." (grins for camera)
* Although it was a threat instead of a joke, after the sheriff in ''RobinHood Prince of Thieves'' threatens to CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon, Sir Guy of Gisborn doesn't get the comment, so the sheriff says, "Because it's ''dull'', you twit. It'll hurt more!"
* There is a German movie called ''Französisch für Anfänger'' ("French for Beginners") that contains a dialogue that goes something like this:
-->'''Boy:''' French is friggin' boring. And those French people ... selfish, arrogant baguette munchers!
-->'''Girl:''' I guess you won't be getting along with my mother too well ...
-->'''Boy:''' No?
-->'''Girl:''' She's French.
* [[AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy Ron Burgundy]] plays this well. First he uses subtle innuendo to get across the joke without explaining it. Then he dives right in and explains what everyone was thinking. Despite this, everyone in the film still considers him a smooth individual, making for a third level of funny.
-->'''Shelly (former cheerleader):''' I've got a big story for you, and it's right here. [points to her breasts.]\\
'''Ron Burgundy''': Well hello... you pointed to your boobies.\\
--\\
From the soundtrack of the film:\\
'''Ron Burgundy''': You know what I'm talking about.... [implied wink]... I'm talking about sexual intercourse.\\
--\\
He goes futher, in that explaining what he's doing often becomes the joke.\\
'''Ron Burgundy''': We are laughing and we are very good friends. Good buddies sharing a special moment...\\
'''Brian Fantana''': Don't say anything Ron and just let it happen.\\
'''Ron Burgundy''': ...laughing and enjoying our friendship, and someday we'll look back on this with much fondness.\\
--\\
'''Ron Burgundy''': I'm storming your castle on my steed, m'lady.
* In ''[[SeltzerAndFriedberg Epic Movie]]'', a SamuelLJackson lookalike says the "muthafucking snakes" line (although a PG-13 variant), and then keeps repeating it instead of getting rid of the snakes. Could have worked (just not in that movie), but then after the third time, he says that the fanboys in the Internet love it when he says it.
** Agony Booth's recap of ''Epic Movie'' [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Epic_Movie_2007.aspx?Page=2 makes a nice comparison]] of all the joke-explaining:
--->So, don't just tell a joke, tell it twice in a row. That way, it's double-funny. Imagine Leslie Nielsen saying, "[[{{Airplane}} I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.]] Because, when you said 'surely', I mistook it to mean that you were calling me by the woman's name 'Shirley'. They sound alike and I became confused."
** ''TheSoup'' made fun of ''Meet the Spartans'' by making a trailer for ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpWOZmp6ajY Reference Movie]]'', including one girl dressed as Britney Spears saying, "I'm just fighting for custody of my kids, y'all. Get it?"
*** It can be said that this is a staple of SeltzerAndFriedberg movies. Part of the reason any comedy value they have is gone is that they feel the need to point out every gag they put into their movies.
* Subverted by Craig Shoemaker who will find a young person in the audience and explain the older jokes (like his Barney Fife impression) to them, making age jokes at their expense.
* ''{{Up}}'': "It's funny because the squirrel gets dead!"
* ''ShriekIfYouKnowWhatIDidLastFridayTheThirteenth'', which is either a parody of a parody or a [[SatireParodyPastiche parody of a parody of a parody]] (depending on whether you think it's a satire of ''ScaryMovie'' or just a satire of ''{{Scream}}'') has a scene similar to the one in ''{{Scream}}'' where the GenreSavvy guy actually explains to a loungeroom full of teenagers all the rules about horror movies, in which the redhead girl explains all about Parodies and how they work. [[SeltzerAndFriedberg Some people]] could learn something there.
* The first ''Literature/HarryPotter'' book contains Hermione's amusing tirade, "We could all have been killed -- or worse, expelled. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed." Where Rowling's line, buried in the middle of an angry speech, causes a humorous double-take, the equivalent line in TheFilmOfTheBook, written by Steve Kloves, not only emphasizes the joke in a glaringly obvious manner, but explains it as well:
-->'''Hermione:''' I'm going to bed before either of you come [sic] up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or ''worse''...'''expelled!'''
-->'''Ron:''' She needs to sort out her priorities.
** Done a bit too much in [[Film/HarryPotter the movies]], mostly owing to the fact that Harry's observations, while funny in his head, were rather forced when spoken aloud. Another example from the first movie, when Neville gets his Rememberall and it turns red:
-->'''Neville:''' The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten!
* In ''Sling Blade,'' Karl can be thought of as doing this when he tries to tell the joke about the two men pissing off the bridge. He gets the parts of the joke out of order and winds up explaining the joke in a way that kills all the humor.
* In ''{{Predator}}'', Hawkins tells two jokes to Billy about his girlfriend, but since he CannotTellAJoke, both times he ends up explaining the punchline when it doesn't get a laugh.
* ''ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' has one, though the other character would have genuinely had trouble ''hearing'' Naveen.
-->"Now you're really into the music! Do you get my joke? Since, well, your head, it is in the tuba."
* ''TheHangover'': Mr. Chow insults ZackGalafinakis and then explains... "It's funny because he's fat!"
* At the end of ''TheMummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'', the comic-relief sidekick Jonathan declares that he's going someplace where there aren't any mummies to deal with, and adds, "On to Peru!" A caption then "helpfully" informs us that "Soon thereafter, mummies were discovered in Peru." Like we couldn't have guessed that from the context even if we hadn't already heard of Inca mummies.
* ''ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' has a good example during Scott and Ramona's first date:
-->'''Ramona''': I just wanted to move somewhere more chill, y'know?\\
'''Scott''': Well, it's certainly "chill" here!\\
'''Ramona''': (Smiles) Yeah.\\
'''Scott''': ...it's "chill" as in "cold."\\
'''Ramona''': (Deadpan) Yeah.
** Additionally:
-->'''Todd''': Tell it to the cleaning lady on Monday.\\
'''Scott''': What?\\
'''Todd''': Because you'll be dust by Monday... because you'll be pulverized in two seconds. The cleaning lady? She cleans up... dust. She dusts.\\
'''Scott''': So, what's on Monday?\\
'''Todd''': 'Cause... it's Friday now, she's the weekends off, so... Monday, right?"
* The African guides pull off a pretty good one in the ''GeorgeOfTheJungle'' live action film:
-->'''Guide ''[to the camera]'':''' Bad guy falls in [[ToiletHumour poop]]! [[LampshadeHanging Classic element of physical comedy]]! Now comes the part where we all throw our heads back and laugh! Ready?\\
'''Other Guides:''' Ready!\\
''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjjVUUO5NAI [all burst into laughter] ]]''
* In ''GetHimToTheGreek'', there is a song in there by Aldous' ex-wife Jackie Q called "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRJjPXqxRis Ring Around My Posy"]], full of innuendos about anal sex. At the very end she says, "I'm talking about my ''asshole''."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''{{Discworld}}'' often had characters who after making a pun(e), or other clever word play would usually start to explain the joke before the other character even has the time to react to said joke. [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Death]] tends to be the biggest offender -- being {{The Spock}} of the series. Fred Colon and Nobby Nobbs are repeat offenders, too.
** The Fools Guild, naturally, ''teaches'' its students to do this. Its founder, Jean-Paul [[NamesakeGag Pune]], perfected the art of pronouncing brackets, as in "Q. When is a door not a door? A. When it's ajar (A. Jar)."
*** The Fool in ''Discworld/WyrdSisters'' does this in the ''middle'' of a joke: "Marry, nuncle, if'n I had a Knighthood (Night Hood), why 'twould keep my ears Warm in Bedde."
** Willikins, Sam Vimes' butler, explains a reference in the ''Ankh-Morpork Times''' political cartoon to his employer in ''Thud!''. Considering it's a reference to ''stakeouts'' in a cartoon about vampires, lifelong policeman Vimes is the last person to actually need the pun pointed out to him.
*** For some justification, Willikins was reading the newspaper aloud to Vimes because he was busy, and wanted to read it at the same time he shaved.
** ''Discworld/WitchesAbroad''. Granny Weatherwax tells a joke, [[{{Unfunny}} or tries to anyway]]: "So he said, 'Get me an alligator sandwich -- [[StealthPun and be quick about it!]]'"
** After much speculation on alt.fan.pratchett ([[http://www.lspace.org/books/apf/witches-abroad.html it says here]]), TerryPratchett explained it thus:
--->"It is (I hope) obvious that Granny Weatherwax has absolutely no sense of humour but she has, as it were, heard about it. She has no grasp of how or why jokes work -- she's one of those people who say "And then what happened?" after you've told them the punchline. She can vaguely remember the one-liner, "Give me an alligator sandwich -- and make it snappy!" but since she's got no idea of why it's even mildly amusing she gets confused... all that she can remember is that apparently the man wants it quickly."
** This joke predates Terry Pratchett; on an episode of ''ILoveLucy'' we hear Lucy tell a joke about a man ordering chicken "without too much fat," to which the waiter responds, "Which way?"
** [[AC:Death]] has a similar problem with the concept of humor, as seen in this line from [[{{Discworld}} Hogfather]]:
-->'''Death:''' [[AC:Let's get there and sleigh them. Ho. Ho. Ho.]]
-->'''Albert''': Right you are, Master.
-->'''Death:''' [[AC:That was a pune, or play on words, Albert. I don't know if you noticed.]]
-->'''Albert:''' I'm laughing like hell deep down, sir.
** The phrase "Pune, or play on words" tends to [[RunningGag show up pretty often]] in Discworld books... presumably the Disc's humorists will eventually come up with a pun which would actually be funny without having to be explained.
*** [[DontExplainTheJoke Because, you know, the jokes are so bad that they aren't funny to anyone else and the people telling the jokes have to explain them.]]
*** Carrot does this a couple times when writing to home, which [[JustifiedTrope makes sense]] because his parents are dwarves. Dwarves have less of a sense of humor than Granny Weatherwax and think that "{{Irony}}" means "something like iron."
** An even worse example happens in ''Discworld/ReaperMan'': during a meeting between Ankh-Morpork's various leaders, the Alchemists' Guild master mentions how a piece of lab equipment earlier levitated and shattered, whereupon the representative from the Fool's Guild responds "Verily, it was a ''sharp retort''." No one gets it, he explains the joke, and everyone else makes a forced chuckle. Then the alchemist adds, "What makes it even funnier was that it was an alembic." Argh.
*** Though that one is ActuallyPrettyFunny if you get it the first time.
** In ''GoingPostal'', after [[EmbarrassingFirstName Moist Von Lipwig]] cons the city into thinking the gods gave him a ton of cash, his business competitor comments that they will handle this in the newspaper by stating that they are interested in "profits, not prophets." Since he's saying this out loud, no one in the room gets it. He tries to explain the joke by repeating it, but it goes over their heads again, so he sighs and remarks that it will look better in print.
* The puns in the recent ''{{Xanth}}'' novels are often explained rather than actually showing their pun nature. Take the "Hippo-Crite". Does it actually do things that are hypocritical? No. It just says, "I never mean what I say."
** Well, since it's a series of books built exclusively on puns, anymore, it's not hard to imagine that Piers Anthony would run out of steam eventually.
*** He ''did''. A lot of the puns are [[RunningTheAsylum fan-submitted]], although some of the setup is still Anthony's.
* KurtVonnegut does this constantly in ''{{Breakfast of Champions}}'' to emphasize the [[LemonyNarrator narration's ironic and misanthropic point of view]]. He even explains and illustrates things which would be ridiculously familiar even to not very smart readers, which gives the weird impression that readers are not expected to be familiar with life on Earth.
* ''Nintendo Power'' magazine used to do this. Whenever they cracked a joke, they'd always say "That's a joke; we kid the (target attacked)!" One fan letter pointed this out and said that it kills the joke; he should know, he went to a comedy school. NP responds with, "Oh, really? I guess you must have some pretty lousy teachers, then! That's a joke; we kid your teachers!"
** To be fair, [[SarcasmMode sarcasm]] is pretty hard to get across in writing and children are even less likely to get the sarcasm.
* DaveBarry briefly indulged in this after receiving one too many letters from people who didn't grasp that he was joking when he wrote something. The rest of the article was written with "closed-captioning for the humor-impaired", in which he explained every single joke he made immediately after making it.
** (THOSE ARE NOT GRAMMARIANS. THOSE ARE HIS DOGS.)
** (SARCASM. THESE PEOPLE APPEAR TO BE MISSING KEY BRAIN LOBES.)(NOT LITERALLY.)
* Daphne's father in ''{{Nation}}'' does this, as the narration mentions that this is something no one should ever do [[spoiler: not even the king]]. Then the Gentlemen of Last Resort tactfully explain why the joke still doesn't work, and advise him what change he needs to make for it to make sense.
* In "First Lord's Fury" of ''CodexAlera'', a joke is flayed to a bloody mess on the carpet:
-->'''Antillus:''' When we get back, you and I are going to have a talk in which you lose your teeth. Because I'm going to knock them out of your head. With my fists.
-->'''Phrygia:''' I think we all understood what you meant at the end of your first sentence, dolt.
* From Thomas Mann's ''The Magic Mountain'':
-->"You mean...oh, I see now -- how marvelous!" Hans Castorp laughed. "What a jokester you are! 'At half past nine' -- did you hear, cousin? Herr Settembrini is saying that it's too early for some of 'last year's participants' to spend a little time at the ball. Ha, ha, how spooky. He means the people who have finally put aside all 'lusts of the flesh' -- IfYouKnowWhatIMean."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''TheDailyShow'', actor RussellCrowe makes a comment that falls flat with the audience and then remarks, "[[IncrediblyLamePun And the crowd goes mild]]". After Jon Stewart attempts to correct him on his phraseology Russell is forced to [[DontExplainTheJoke Explain the Joke]].
** [[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-2-2005/russell-crowe Here's]] the video for the previous entry, starting at about 3:00. It's actually quite painful for John that he didn't get the joke, but he makes a half decent recovery.
** [[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-8-2008/word-war-ii Here]], explaining how "Obama got served".
* ''FatherTed'' episode "Flight Into Terror" features this example:
-->'''Ted:''' When everything's going OK, I just keep imagining all the terrible things that can happen, but when one of those things actually happens, it's just a rush! I am fearless. Like that film with Jeff Bridges.\\
'''Dougal:''' I haven't seen that one.\\
'''Ted:''' Not a lot of people have, Dougal, so it's probably a bad reference.
* Johnny Carson was a master at telling jokes that nobody gets. His sheepish explanation would get the laughs.
* Happens quite often on ''TheTonightShow with Jay Leno'', when Kevin Eubanks doesn't get the joke, and Jay has to take time out to try to explain it. Sometimes Jay just explains the joke even when everybody gets it for some reason.
** Johnny's lameness at explaining a lame joke still managed to be funny. Jay's lameness at explaining a lame joke just comes across as lame. Conan is even lamer at it than Jay, which somehow makes it funny again.
* In the ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Killed By Death":
-->'''Cordelia:''' Oh, right. Your obsession with protecting Buffy. Have I told you how attractive that's not?
-->'''Xander:''' Cordelia, someone's gotta watch her back.
-->'''Cordelia:''' Yeah, well, I've seen you watch her back.
-->'''Xander:''' What is that supposed to mean?
-->'''Cordelia:''' Well, I was using the phrase "watch her back" as a euphemism for looking at her butt. You know, sort of a pun.
-->'''Xander:''' Oh! Right. Hey!
** In the episode "Gingerbread":
--->'''[[TheLibby Cordelia]]''': And If you hang with them, expect badness, 'cause that's what you get when you hang with freaks and losers. Believe me, I know. ''[begins to walk away, turns back]'' That was a pointed comment about me hanging with you guys.
** In "Out of My Mind", Willow teases Buffy about her new-found academic prowess:
-->'''Willow:''' Should I be watching my occipital lobe?
-->'''Buffy:''' Your what?
-->'''Willow:''' Occipital, the lobe in the back of your brain? You know, like, should I be watching my back? But, you know, the back of your brain.
-->'''Buffy:''' Apparently not.
*** Even more funny because the occipital lobe contains the brain's visual processing centers. Which process the watching. Of the back. Of the brain.
** Taken to extremes by Anya in "Restless", where, in Giles' dream, she takes up stand-up comedy and is so abysmal at it that she has to explain every joke just to get the crowd to laugh.
-->Anya: And then the duck tells the doctor that there's a man that's attached to my ass! You see, it was the duck and not the man that spoke.
* ''TheBigBangTheory'' does this all the time, mostly via Sheldon. Like when he summarizes the entire point of one episode:
-->'''Sheldon:''' It's the juxtaposition of the high-tech nature of space exploration against the banality of a malfunctioning toilet that provides the comic fodder here. [beat, then his weird laugh]
** Plus, he notes all of his own "hilarious pranks" with his {{catchphrase}} "Bazinga!"
* [[RealTimeWithBillMaher Bill Maher]] sometimes feigns a halfhearted explanation of a joke, if there's not enough laughter. Sometimes he still does this when there is (to more laughter).
* On one episode of ''MuppetsTonight'', there was Seymour and Pepe's attempt at telling the "Elefino" joke, which is made even funnier by [[OverlyLongGag the diagrams and placards they use to explain it]]. The audience still doesn't get it.
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' ChristmasEpisode "The End Of Time", the Doctor locks the TARDIS by pointing the key at it, at which point it chirps, and the light on top flashes. He then rather desperately tries to explain to Ood Sigma (TheUnfunny) why this is funny.
-->'''Doctor''': Like a car? You see? I locked it ... like a car ...
* A variation on {{Angel}}. The Host (who has green skin) tells everyone his name is Lorne, but he doesn't use it for obvious reasons.
--> Angel: "Right, like Lorne Greene." (The others stare at him blankly) "You know, from {{Bonanza}}." (Everyone still stares blankly) "Come on, that show had 15 seasons!" ([[RuleOfThree Everyone still stares blankly]]) "I feel old."
* From season one of ''HowIMetYourMother'':
-->'''Robin:''' I got highlights.
-->'''Ted:''' Oh, for the waiting room of your dental practice? [awkward pause] Highlights is a children's magazine.
* Used often in ''{{Monk}}'', such as in this example from the episode "Mr. Monk Gets Lotto Fever":
-->'''Disher:''' Glad you like numbers, [[spoiler: Billy]]. You're gonna be wearing some numbers on your shirt.
-->'''Murderer of the Week:''' Is that right?
-->'''Disher:''' And they won't be lottery numbers.
-->'''Murderer:''' I get it.
-->'''Disher:''' 'Cause you're going to prison.
-->'''Murderer:''' Yeah, I get it.
* Martin from ''{{Frasier}}'' does this sometimes -- "Tomorrow, I'm going to the birthday party of one of my old friends from the force, he'll be 16... Because you see, tomorrow's the [[LeapDay 29th of February]]... It only comes every four years... He's really 64..."
** "The previous act was a guy with a parrot -- Sargent Joe and Officer Chirpy. Dick Chirpy was one of the finest men I ever worked with... Did you see what I did? Chirpy sounds like it would be the parrot but it's actually the man... Dick Chirpy, you see, you'd think he'd be Sargent Joe... Joe is the parrot."
** When Frasier and Martin realize that they can't stand to live together without Daphne around:
--->'''Martin:''' You know how an Oreo has that soft creamy filling between two hard cookies? That's what keeps them together?
--->'''Frasier:''' See your point, Dad.
--->'''Martin:''' Daphne's kind of the centre.
--->'''Frasier:''' I'll go and talk to her.
--->'''Martin:''' Now, you and me, we'd be the cookie part.
--->'''Frasier:''' I get it!
* ''{{Spaced}}'': "So it wasn't so much an Eskimo roll, as a case of rolling right Inuit!" (blank look) (Delivered in the same tone) "Inuit's another word for Eskimo!"
* ''ArrestedDevelopment'' is more subtle about it than most of the examples on this page, though... the [[MisaimedFandom number of forumites I've seen]] complaining about "the narrator who explains all the jokes"...
** Ron Howard chipping in with the intended audience reaction did actually become something of a problem during the third season ("Gee, why wouldn't she want him back?", etc). Yeah, we get it Ron.
** [[CrowningMomentOfFunny "Hey, that's the name of this show!"]]
** Then there's the scene of Tobias talking about his job as a combination analyst and therapist, or "analrapist," with business cards that almost got him arrested. Cue closeup photo of one of the cards. They really did lose some faith in the audience's ability to follow the jokes in season three.
* Norm Macdonald as Burt Reynolds in the Celebrity Jeopardy sketches on ''SaturdayNightLive'' [[http://snltranscripts.jt.org/99/99cjeopardy.phtml finds]] an over-sized cowboy hat backstage. "It's funny. It's funny because it's ah, bigger than, ah...you know, a normal hat." Darrel Hammond's impersonation of SeanConnery did this [[http://snltranscripts.jt.org/01/01tjeopardy.phtml frequently:]]
-->'''Alex Trebek:''' Where did you get that magic marker? We frisked you in on the way in here.
-->'''Sean Connery:''' I didn't have it in my pocket.
-->'''Alex Trebek:''' That's disgusting. Please.
-->'''Sean Connery:''' I bet if you frisked me, you would have found it.
-->'''Alex Trebek:''' All right, that's enough.
-->'''Sean Connery:''' Because I was keeping it in my butt.
** One of the many [[http://snltranscripts.jt.org/97/97iupdate.phtml highlights]] from Norm Macdonald's term as ''[[SaturdayNightLive Weekend Update]]'' anchor:
---> '''Norm Macdonald''': Who are safer drivers? Men, or women? Well, according to a new survey, 55% of adults feel that women are most responsible for minor fender-benders, while 78% blame men for most fatal crashes. Please note that the percentages in these pie graphs do not add up to 100% because the math was done by a woman.\\
''[uneasy laughter, groans]''\\
'''Norm Macdonald''': For those of you hissing at that joke, it should be noted that that joke was written by a woman. So, now you don't know what the hell to do, do you?\\
''[laughter increases]''\\
'''Norm Macdonald''': Nah, I'm just kidding. We don't hire women. ''[riotous laughter and applause]''
** When Wayne ends up in [[http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93tmelrose.phtml Melrose Place:]]
--->'''Jake:''' What are you doing in Amanda's apartment?
--->'''Wayne:''' Hi Jake. Jake, I'm, ah, I'm the new handyman.
--->'''Jake:''' What do you mean?
--->'''Wayne:''' You know, I'm unclogging her pipes.
--->'''Jake:''' What are you getting at?
--->'''Wayne:''' I've been having sexual intercourse with Amanda, repeatedly in different positions for many, many hours.
--->'''Jake:''' What are you trying to say?
* Frequently done by Conan O'Brien, in a high pitch laugh as a follow-up to a joke that no one in their right mind could possibly not get in under a second, as if the joke required any amount of explaining. "BECAUSE HE'S FAT!"
** Which he'll re-explain, quickly. if one of the following jokes bombs. "--becauseshe'sfat.
** According to a DVD commentary, back when Conan worked on ''TheSimpsons'', he pitched that if a joke was obscure and might not work, his head would appear on the scene for a split second to explain the joke.
* Two words: Dane Cook.
** Cook has nothing on BoBurnham, who spends a large chunk of his raps explaining the rapid-fire jokes that make them up, from why a girl dating a "large" man should wear African neck rings to interrupting a love song portraying him as a southern aristocrat in a relationship with one of his slaves to explain that he'd still have to work her full time because "there's a difference between romantic language and complete disregard for socio-economic trends."
* Played with several times on ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'', where the characters (usually Servo or Crow) would sheepishly explain a joke or {{Pun}} that they knew was bad.
* from ''No Heroics'':
-->'''The Hotness''': I've got a risotto to heat up, and there's a certain little lady called Vicci who wants to play with fire... by that, I mean my cock and balls.
* ''TheDrewCareyShow'' When Larry is forced to play Santa he suggests that store visitors would enjoy seeing him "unwrap his package." When Mimi doesn't like the idea, he helpfully explains that "when I said 'unwrapping my package' I meant 'expose myself!'" On another episode, Drew attends the wedding of Nicki, his former fiancee. In a toast Nicki's dad mentions that she's been involved with
-->losers, characters, and ne'er-Drew-wells. I mean ne'er-''Drew''-wells. ''[points to Drew]'' Hell, I mean that guy right there.
* On ''FilthyRichAndCatflap'', deluded failed light entertainer Richie Rich makes a poor joke implying that his minder, Eddie Catflap smells. When Eddie remains silent, Richie feels the need to explain the joke ("Because ''you're'' so smelly.") Eddie bluntly responds that he got the joke, he just didn't think it was a very good one. hence the lack of laughter.
* In an episode of ''TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', Max embarrassed herself repeatedly during student body presidential elections by trying to get people to laugh at her burns against Cody by explaining them.
* On ''The Rotten Tomatoes Show'', while reviewing the baseball movie ''Sugar'', Brett Erlich says "And he tries to steal home, {{if you know what I mean}}. By having sex with her."
* ''{{Leverage}}'' does this, in "The Runway Job". And if ''[[NoSocialSkills Parker]]'' thinks you're going too far, you already did:
-->'''Eliot''': Dated a ''lot'' of models. Lot of private fashion shows, IfYouKnowWhatIMean.
-->'''Parker''': Yes, yes.
-->'''Eliot''': Most of the dresses ended up on the ground.
-->'''Parker''': Yup, I get it, [[AllMenArePerverts you're a guy]].
-->'''Eliot''': It means they were naked.
-->'''Parker''': Okay, seriously?
* On ''PushingDaisies'', Olive knows that Lily is [[spoiler:actually Chuck's mother]] and talks to her at a convent:
-->'''Lily:''' This place knows things about me nobody knows.\\
'''Olive:''' You mean that you holidayed here thirty years ago and found a baby in a cabbage patch? And by cabbage patch, I mean your lady parts?
* Anytime someone tells a joke on ''[[GarthMarenghisDarkPlace Garth Marenghi's Dark Place]]'', it'll probably end up like this, probably with Thornton delivering the over-done line. For instance, in an episode where a character is killed by a screwdriver:
-->'''Sanchez''': Let's all go for a drink.
-->'''Liz''': As long as it's not a screwdriver!
-->[[OhCisco (everybody laughs)]]
-->'''Thornton''': I'd prefer a beer!
* A certain skit on ''{{The Kids in the Hall}}'' featured Kevin [=McDonald=] and Dave Foley as a burlesque comedy duo, with Dave's character as the overly literalist straight-man. Two lines into {{Abbott and Costello}}'s "[=~Who's On First?~=]" routine, Dave's character interrupts and says, "Oh, I see what your problem is! You're confused by their names because they all sound like questions!" and proceeds to go on spouting excessively detailed descriptions of all the baseball player names.
-->'''Kevin''': So, I understand you manage a baseball team!
-->'''Dave''': No, I'm a vaudevillain.
* In an episode of ''{{House}}'', Cameron attempts to imitate House by holding his red coffee mug, leaning on the white board and asking "Foreman, are you going to contribute? Or are you too busy stealing cars?" Everyone one stares at her blankly, prompting her to say, "I'm being House." It's funny."
* In an episode of ''TopGear'', the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car was asked if he knew TomCruise well. The response was a rather clever joke about not knowing him well because of attending different churches. After getting a respectful nod from Jeremy Clarkson, the guest then proceeded to ruin his own joke by adding "I'm in the one with Jesus, baby."
* From ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', when [=LaForge=] is telling a joke to Data, the android.
-->'''[=LaForg=]:''' ...so the guy staggers to his feet, and goes back to the girl, right? Well, she smiles, looks him straight in the eye, and says, "Just try that in hyperspace!"
-->''([=LaForge=] laughs while Data remains silent)''
-->'''Data:''' I see. So the difficulty in attaining such complex positioning in a zero gravity environment, coupled with the adverse effects on the psychological well-being of the average human male is what makes this anecdote so amusing! Yes. Very humorous, indeed. Hysterical, in fact.
** But then, Data is well known for literally not having a sense of humor, [[HypocriticalHumor so his failure to get the joke is, in fact, the joke]]. (Which, of course, makes one wonder why LaForge tried telling him a joke in the first place.)
*** Another example took place in the [[StarTrekVoyager Voyager]] episode Workforce, where the crew is brainwashed by an alien society and used as part of its...[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well, yeah]]
---->'''Jaffen:''' ...So, the man kept making these rude comments - all of them about my father - and he couldn't figure out why I wasn't insulted. Finally, I just had to tell him: I'm ''Norvalian''; I don't ''have'' a father.
---->'''Tuvok:''' (laughs raucously)
---->'''Jaffen:''' It wasn't that funny, Tuvok.
---->'''Tuvok:''' On the contrary! The man was ignorant of how your species procreates. His attempt to disparage you ultimately humiliated ''him''. Irony is often a source of humor.
---->'''Jaffen:''' Well, when you put it that way...it wasn't funny at all...
* [[{{Bones}} Temperance Brennen]] has long had trouble understanding humor. So when she does understand a joke, she's quick to point out to anyone, including the teller of the joke, ''why'' it's humorous. For example, in the episode "The Predator in the Pool," she asks FBI Supervisory Special Agent Andrew Hacker if he is allowed to date her (due to regulations prohibiting relationships between agents and consultants). Hacker says he got permission, from himself:
-->'''Hacker''': In fact, I not only granted permission, but I insisted that I see you socially.
-->'''Bones''': (Pauses, then laughs.) That's funny, because you're satirizing bureaucratic rules by adhering to the letter of the regulations instead of the spirit of it. (Laughs again.)
* JohnCleese and Michael Palin explained the main premise of the Dead Parrot sketch from ''[=~Monty Python's Flying Circus~=]'' while performing it on ''SaturdayNightLive''. Fans of the sketch probably seem to think it is surreal due to a) not understanding British culture and b) not understanding that customer service is much, much better now than it was when the sketch was originally made.
** Case in point, the parrot itself is not actually that important to the sketch. A sketch with the same premise was written for another show by Graham Chapman and JohnCleese about a car.
** Palin and Cleese {{lampshaded}} this in a live performance when [[spoiler:Palin asked for the receipt, checked it, and handed Clease a full refund, saying something to the effect of "customer service is much better since Thatcher's day"]]
* [[TheTag Every episode]] of ''{{The Vicar of Dibley}}'' ended with Geraldine telling [[TheDitz Alice]] a joke, which Alice would completely misinterpret and Geraldine would have to explain.
* ''TheYoungOnes'' featured an episode where their house was invaded by a vampire. Mikel tried phoning Battersea Dog's Home to help, Ric suggested he should have gone for Doggersea Bat's Home. Cue half a minute of wrangling as Ric tried to explain why that joke worked.
* In {{Warehouse13}} when Pete learns that Artie has used an artifact to regrow his appendix about once a year in order to have an excuse to meet Vanessa, the cute Warehouse doctor.
-->'''Pete:''' If only there were some way for you to... interact... with Vanessa, that did not involve invasive surgery. Perhaps some kind of... I don't know... social ritual... one involving the charing of food or the enjoying of... filmed entertainment with mayby some duds that have been milked. [{{Beat}}] I mean a date.
-->'''Arite:''' I know what you mean!
* Exemplified in this HumanGiant sketch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D27WtFZ-aaI
* Several of the commentators on [=TruTV=]'s ''The Smoking Gun Presents'' need to learn and live this trope's title. Not ''all'' ViewersAreMorons, after all, and several are repeat joke-killers by way of explaining something that was funny until it got explained to death.
* Parodied on ''DharmaAndGreg'':
-->'''Greg:''' So a man with a wooden eye walks into a bar and as you can imagine he feels very self conscious--
-->'''Mr. Montgomery (astutely):''' Because he had a wooden eye!
* The teaser for a {{Cheers}} episode had Woody not falling for a prank call, even though the caller [[spoiler:revealed to be Frasier]] tries to explain it to him... and vice versa.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* The Basement Jaxx song "Oh My Gosh", A girl sings about a guy she's met (not that THAT narrows it down, but, you know); their conversation at one point goes:
--> He said "how many sugars do you like in your tea?"
--> I said "Forget about the sugar, have a spoonful of me!
--> 'Cause I taste so sweet!"
* As [[http://rapgenius.com/posts/Get-it-why-do-rappers-explain-their-own-lines-in-the-age-of-rap-genius this blog post]] points out, rappers in general are prone to explaining their own jokes in-song, much to the disdain of the blogger.
--> '''[[TheNotoriousBIG Biggie]]:''' "If Fay' have twins, she’ll probably have two ‘Pacs ...Get it? [[TupacShakur Two...Pacs]]?"
* brentalfloss's [[http://brentalfloss.bandcamp.com/track/ducktales-with-lyrics-moon-theme Ducktales With Lyrics (Moon Theme)]] (yes, this was sung in its entirety):
--> Keep on finding gold and jewels, just lay off the quack.
--> Off the quack! It’s a pun and it’s about ducks.
* "It's Halloween!" by SongsToWearPantsTo: In one verse Andrew is listing off costume-appropriate treats to hand out, which ends with:
-->Swine flu guy gets some bacon strips
-->And for the robot, a bag of really small chips
-->Get it? It's a joke about microchips...
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''TheFarSide'' had its infamous CowTools cartoon, which absolutely zero people got. Gary Larson ended up having to explain it (which can be viewed on the CowTools page). Of course, [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity all the debate over it ended up boosting Larson's circulation]].
* ''Dilbert'' creator Scott Adams once released a compilation called ''Its Not Funny If I have to Explain It''.
* [[http://www.avclub.com/articles/bloom-county-to-get-republished-at-last,23496/ The upcoming treasury collections]] of the legendary comic strip ''BloomCounty'' will probably runneth over this trope. Since much of the humor is a product of the 1980's, the collections will include "context pages" to help explain the cultural and political references to anyone born after the Reagan administration. Because of that, it might be born out of necessity to explain the background of the Meadowcrats...
** Not wanting to have to explain the joke was a ''huge'' factor in Breathed's decision to let the collections go out of print and not release any further reprintings.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Believe it or not, the subtitles that explain what is going on is beneficial to the {{Botchamania}} series. As a lot of the clips (botches) are taken from some of WCW's older stuff, explaining the context of the match, stipulations, etc. help the viewer understand why it's considered a botch in the first place (it should; this IS old WCW, after all.)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Radio]]
* BBC Radio 4's ''TheNowShow'' has a RunningGag that, before the audience has time to react to particularly lame puns (and there's [[HurricaneOfPuns a lot of them]]), they'll be [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] with "Do you see? Do you see what we did there?" Most notably:
-->'''Jon Culshaw''': ''(as [[Series/TheApprentice Alan Sugar]], as the coroner in the Diana inquest)'' "Your task was to try to prove a conspiracy by Prince Philip to kill Diana. You've offered no real evidence and wasted my time. I have no choice -- You're Fayed!
-->'''Hugh Dennis''': You see? Because it sounds like "fired"! Fayed! It's his name!
* Used in ''Fags, Mags and Bags'':
-->'''Rameesh:''' Ted, do you like kids.
-->'''Ted:''' Yeah... but I couldn't eat a whole one! You get it? I'm implying that I eat children!
* Long before ''TheNowShow'', ''TheGoonShow'' was deliberately introudcing lame puns and then undercutting them.
-->'''Grytpype:''' That would certainly deter them.
-->'''Seagoon:''' Yes. They'd have to make a detour. Hahahahahaha! Get it? Detour? Hahahahaha! ...ahem.
* Mr. Boynton on ''OurMissBrooks'' occasionally does this.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theatre]]
* In ''[=~Mary, Mary~=]'' after Mary and Bob light their cigarettes, they both exclaim, "Mmmm--that's ''real'' coffee!" Tiffany is puzzled by this, and demands an explanation of this private joke:
-->'''Bob''': We once heard this announcer on television. It was late at night and I suppose the poor joker was confused from having to talk about so many products all day. Anyway, he started to do a cigarette commercial. He sucked in and smiled and said "Mmmm---that's ''real'' coffee." (Tiffany does not react) You see, it ''wasn't'' worth going into.
* [[http://www.slate.com/id/2121214/ This article]] criticises ''{{Spamalot}}'' for explaining a joke (which wasn't explained in the original film), and thus going against the whole point of Pythonesque humour.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* Whoever wrote the {{cutscene}}s for the earlier ''VideoGame/HarryPotter'' games had a tendency to murder {{JK Rowling}}'s wit by reformatting her jokes into the most obvious, overstated manner possible. Combined with the bad voice acting and the occasional CaptainObvious moments ("This leads to the dungeons."), the result borders on SoBadItsGood.
* Ernie Steele from ''BackyardSports'' does Variant 2 a lot.
* ''MegaManStarForce'' has a "Don't Explain the Insult" variant at the beginning of the satillite admins segment of the first game, when [[KidHero Geo]] gets pissed off at [[{{Ojou}} Luna]] for following him everywhere and trying to get him to go to school, and calls her a "satellite". Luna doesn't get it, so Geo tells her what he meant, also adding that it's a [[StellarName play on her name]].
* EDI in MassEffect2 does this a few times. Most notably, when Joker is connecting her to the defensive systems:
-->'''EDI''': I have access to the defensive systems. Thank you, Mr. Moreau. Now you must reactivate the primary drive in engineering.
-->'''Joker''': Argh, you want me to go crawling through the ducts again!
-->'''EDI''': I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees. (Joker stares.) That is a joke.
-->'''Joker''': Right...
** Subverted, the real joke in that quote isn't explained though.
* ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'', in the end credits song.
-->'''[=GLaDOS=]:''' Maybe you'll find someone else to help you. Maybe Black Mesa... THAT WAS A JOKE. HA HA. FAT CHANCE.
* ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' has both antagonists pull this one on separate occasions. [=GLaDOS=] because she's a DeadpanSnarker and [[spoiler:Wheatley]] because he's genuinely stupid. The latter is adorned with heavy LampshadeHanging.
-->'''[=GLaDOS=]:''' Remember in the last test chamber when I was talking about smelly garbage taking up space? I'm sorry, but that was a metaphor. I was talking about you. You didn't react at the time, so I wasn't sure that you understood, which would have made this apology sound insane. That's why I had to call you garbage a second time just now.\\
\\
'''[[spoiler:Wheatley]]:''' You [...] are going to love this big surprise. In fact, you're going to love it ''[[ImpliedDeathThreat to death]]''. Love it until you're dead -- until it kills you. I don't know if you're picking up on what I'm saying...\\
'''[[spoiler:[=GLaDOS=]]]:''' Yes, thanks, we get it. [later] Alright, so he's not even trying to be subtle anymore. Or maybe he still is, in which case, wow, that's kind of sad.
* ''SuperMarioGalaxy2'': "I'm on cloud control! Ha ha! Get it? Instead of "crowd," I said... Aww, never mind."
* ''SonicColors'' plays this out right for laughs:
--> Eggman: "Nothing will stop me now!I know I said that before but really, this time nothing will stop me!"
--> Orbot: Er...boss..."
--> *Orbot points to behind him. The camera pulls back to reveal Sonic.*
--> Sonic: "Who you calling nothin'?"
--> Cubot: * Scratches head* "Huh...?"
--> Orbot: "Since the boss said nothings going to stop him and Sonic here is going to stop him, it's basically like the boss is calling Sonic nothing.
--> Sonic: "Great! I though no one would get that!"
** After that line, there's about another minute's worth of banter between Sonic and Eggman, the level boss enters, and Sonic dashes over to fight him, and only ''then'' does Cubot exclaim "I get it!"
* ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' features a subverts to this if one were to present wrong evidence to him at one point:
--> Moe: "What are showing me that for? It's not like it's going to LORE Y'A to the truth! HA HA HA"
--> Maya: "What...?"
--> Moe: "You know? "LORE Y'AA"
--> Maya: "Oh! I get it! You know Nick? Your a lawyer and he said LORE Y'AA! It fits in to both his sentence and the context of the people his talking to as well!
--> Phoenix: "Ok! I get it! (Geez! Don't explain the joke! Expectingly if it as bad as that one!)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Comics]]
* An example of Variant 1 happens in AdorableDesolation. [[http://adorabledesolation.comicgenesis.com/d/20090227.html Shopclerk doesn't get it,]] she doesn't explain it. She laughs even harder when he realizes he's missing something. He's not even sure what he's not getting.
* The comic "Brawl in the Family" tended to do this frequently in early strips, by telling a joke in the strip, then explaining the (incredibly simple) joke in the newsfeed.
* ''DinosaurComics'' does this quite a bit. For example, [[http://www.qwantz.com/archive/000548.html Programming Advice: Jokes Explained]].
** ** [[http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=18 That's not what she said. Last night. When I had SEX with her!]]
* ''Dinosaur Comics'' author Ryan North once took the concept to its comedic height in his [[http://www.insaneabode.com/roboterotica/jokesexplained/jokes.html Jokes Explained website]]. The Comic Irregulars continued with [[http://www.mezzacotta.net/singles/jokes_explained_explained.php Jokes Explained Explained,]], [[http://www.mezzacotta.net/singles/jokes_explained_explained_explained.php and so on]], and [[http://www.mezzacotta.net/singles/jokes_explained_explained_explained_explained.php so forth]].
* Double lampshading in [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20050305.html this]] ''SchlockMercenary''.
* [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0605.html This]] ''OrderOfTheStick'', although you could just say he's rubbing it in.
** It's still a pretty good line.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0455.html Here's another one.]]
--> '''Belkar:''' Get it? Because he said "Fire!" and then you used a "Fire"-ball, and now they're all dead!
--> '''Eye of Fear and Flame:''' [[YesMan Yes, sir. Very funny, sir.]] Please don't hurt me.
* {{Concession}}: [[http://concessioncomic.com/index.php?pid=20071130 "See, it's funny because you're a pedophile."]]
* [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=316 This]] ''QuestionableContent'' strip.
** Dale does it in [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1895 this]] one.
* ''VGCats'' [[http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=286 here]].
** It's not the first time Leo did that: [[http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=271]] Also the final panel could be considered the creator explaining the comic's joke.
** To be honest that last panel really makes you laugh again when you see Leo's look of utter surprise.
* [[http://www.flyingmanandfriends.com/ Flying Man and Friends]] averts this trope. It NEVER explains the joke. Do you understand what is happening in [[http://www.flyingmanandfriends.com/?m=20090921 this strip]]?
** Not at all what in the world is this guy trying to imply?
* ''Chugworth Academy'' has [[http://chugworth.com/archive/?strip_id=65 a]] [[http://chugworth.com/archive/?strip_id=71 gag]] where an extremely apathetic StraightManAndWiseGuy act has the DopeSlap replaced by the narrator Explaining The Joke.
* ''PennyArcade'''s "Randy Pinkwood" enjoys this. [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/3/15/ "If you know what I'm talking about. And I think you know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about my penis."]]
* [[http://www.explosm.net/comics/1333/ And by "have sex with her" I mean use my penis on her...]]
* One of the biggest criticisms of ''CtrlAltDel'' is that its author, Tim Buckley, seems insistent on explaining each and every joke in minute detail through [[WallsOfText walls upon walls of unnecessary character dialogue]]. Most of the time the {{punchline}} is already blurted out in the first panel, and the other three panels are then dedicated solely to dancing around the joke.
* In ''[[EightBitTheater 8-Bit Theater]]'', Red Mage explains his already {{Incredibly Lame Pun}}s about [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2003/04/22/episode-275-clash-of-styles/ Drizz'l]] and [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2003/06/21/episode-298-a-natural-response/ Astos]].
* A series of ''RoosterTeeth'' comics featuring the guys involved in an escalating prank war culminates with them in the hospital calling a truce they ''clearly'' don't intend to keep. One of the first comments on it? "I like how they're all holding weapons." You, sir-slash-madame, are a master of observation.
** It's funny because he's not really a master of observation! He's merely stating the obvious!
*** [[OverlyLongGag It's funny because he's deliberately invoking this trope on the same page it's being discussed in!]]
*** It's funny because he's continuing the joke [[OverlyLongGag beyond what could reasonably be considered "still funny"]], and then explaining it ''more'' with the [[PotHole page link]] on the very page that's entirely ''about'' [[DontExplainTheJoke not explaining the joke!]]
*** It's funny becau... [[HomestarRunner *arrowded* ]]
* PunchAnPie: [[TheDitz Karen]] [[http://www.punchanpie.net/daily/20070606.html demonstrates]].
* The ''[[RonPlanet Ron Planet]]'' webcomic has one: "Ron Planet Astronauting: 'Cause planets are in space!"
* In the {{PVP}} arc when Robbie starts his own brewery, one of the first buildings they look at is an incredibly bad choice - so much so, that Max quote's Harold Ramis' line from {{Ghostbusters}} about the firehouse more or less verbatim. Then, hearing him, Robbie barges in talking about how great the building is, and namedrops the movie, just to be sure that the dozen readers outside the actual target market get the joke.
* [[http://gunshowcomic.com/ Gunshow]] has a whole load of comics under the [[http://gunshowcomic.com/tag/that%27s+the+joke "That's the joke"]] tag.
* BasicInstructions describes [[http://basicinstructions.squarespace.com/storage/2010-12-14-ruinjoke.gif How to Retroactively Ruin a Joke]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* TheNostalgiaCritic falls into this all of the time when targeting comedies, oftentimes substituting explaining a joke rather than pointing out why it isn't funny. This is most blatant in his review of the SuperMarioBrothers movie when he calls out the movie's use of a WhosOnFirst joke by asking whether or not it's supposed to be a WhosOnFirst joke.
* Carson Baye was a particularly unpopular character in ''SurvivalOfTheFittest'' V3 due to his habit of referencing anime, then immediately explaining the references. Although, there were a number of other (mostly [[InAndOutOfCharacter out of character]]) reasons for this too.
* ''HomestarRunner'' goes through several layers of this, along with an implied Type 1 and unnecessary LampshadeHanging, when Strong Bad reads through a computer catalog.
--> '''Catalog (as read by Strong Bad)''': The Roomy-Vac is a real power-HOUSE... Get it? Oh, you don't? Well, because it's the size of a... Oh, you were kidding? You do get it? Pretty good, huh? No?
--> '''Strong Bad''': Why would they print that whole exchange?
* In ''TheGuild'', season 1 episode 3 "The Macro Problem"
--> '''Zaboo:''' You like my helm ? It's + 5 sexterity... Get it ? It's like "dexterity" but... with "sex", in the front. Like a prefix... I'm kind of a linguist.
* ''DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'':
-->'''Captain Hammer:''' 'Cause she's with Captain Hammer. And ''these'' -- ''[lifts fists]'' -- are not the hammer. ''[walks out]''
-->'''Dr. Horrible:''' ...
-->'''Captain Hammer:''' ''[walks back in]'' ...[[CrowningMomentOfFunny The hammer is my penis]].
* ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series}}'':
-->'''Joey:''' ''"Man, that is one girl I'd like to play card games with. And by "play card games" I mean "have sex"."''
** Bakura in Episode 18. "Run while you can mortal, soon I will rule the world, and then we'll see who smells. (pause) It'll be you!"
** Also Kaiba in Episode 21, while inside a computer simulation: "Time for a trip to the recycle bin, Phantom. And then once you're in the recycle bin, I'm going to right click on it and select "empty recycle bin". Because otherwise, you'll just be taking up unnecessary space. In other words, I'm going to kill you."
** A failed example that wasn't intentional is when Tristan's voice changes, and Joey later punches him when he insults his fighting ability. According to Joey, "Ever since your voice changed you've been like a completely different person." He then continues with "Actually, you've been like the same person, just with a completely different voice".
** "It is funny because "wang" means "penis"."
** Marik combines this with LateToThePunchline after Melvin telling Bakura 'I always knew you wanted me inside you Bakura'.
--->'''Marik:''' Oh I get it he was implying that you wanted me to sleep with you.
* Team Four Star's ''DragonBallZ: TheAbridgedSeries''.
-->'''Goku''': Hey, King Kai.
-->'''King Kai''': What the hell, Goku?
-->'''Goku''': I just realised. While trying to introduce the blooper special, we're ''making'' bloopers for it. Isn't that funny?
-->'''King Kai''': No. No it's not.
** Also this pretty blatant (but hilarious) example:
--->'''Vegeta''': Now it's time to reveal my '''giant monkey'''... ''[camera over his crotch, crowd gasps]''...form ''[camera pans to face. Crowd sighs in relief]''.
--->'''Man in Crowd''': Thank God, I thought he meant penis!
** On Fake Namek the imposters get confused by their own plan, leading to the comment "It's funny because 'wang' means 'penis'."
** In the ''Bardock'' special Zarbon had one.
--->'''Frieza''': Oh forget about it, he's already on a direct course for Planet [[EarthShatteringKaboom S.O.L]].
--->'''Zarbon''': ...Planet what?
--->'''Frieza''': ''[long-suffering sigh]'' Planet-
--->'''[[IronicEchoCut Bardock]]''': Vegeta!
** One time, explaining the joke turned out to be the setup to another joke:
--->'''Krillin''': Geez, these aliens are scary. Especially that one in the front-looks like a total fag.
--->'''Gohan''': Krillin!
--->'''Krillin''': What? A [[FunWithAcronyms Freaky Alien Genotype]]. What'd you think I meant?
--->'''Gohan''': Oh. I thought you were calling him a derogatory term for a homosexual.
--->'''Krillin''': [[DroppedABridgetOnHim THAT THING'S A GUY?]]
* ''JojosBizarreAdventure: TheAbridgedSeries'':
--> '''Joseph:''' Do you know where the building in this photo is?
--> '''Bartender:''' Depends. Do you know where my foot will be if you don't order anything?
--> '''Joseph:''' (sigh) Alright, we'll have four iced teas-
--> '''Bartender:''' It will be up your ass. Just saying.
* One common stock gag on news aggregator {{Fark}} is for a submission to ''woodenly'' summarize what happens in a news article using increasingly ''stretched'' {{Unusual Euphemism}}s for a ''prominent'' [[ToiletHumor "impolite"]] concept, then ''stiffly'' [[{{Anvilicious}} drop the anvil]] in the last word. Penis.
** Also common is for someone to actually explain an overused headline joke in the comments: "See, it's funny because SarahJessicaParker's face is hideously elongated, not unlike a horse's face."
* This [[http://cgi.cs.indiana.edu/~oracle/digest.cgi?N=1169#1169-03 Internet Oracularity]] is a really meta example that's somewhat hard to explain without spoiling the joke itself.
* [[TheSpoonyExperiment "Space Mountain is my penis."]]
* [[SeltzerandFriedberg Seltzer and Friedberg]] do this all the time, a fact that was mocked heavily in LoadingReadyRun's parody video "'Movie' Movies Movie".
--> '''Fartinidus:''' Spartans! My name is Fartinidus, which is a clever play on the name of the hero from the movie Meet the Spartans, which in turn was making fun of Leonidas, from the movie 300, which was popular.
--> '''Random Everygirl:''' Wait! I'm just a lonely single girl trying to make it in the big city! You see I used to be quite comically overweight, but then my cowboy friend gave me a makeover! He's gay! Like in that movie, Brokeback Mountain!"
--> '''Bitterman:''' I have a confession--I'm not actually a gay cowboy. I'm actually...a space alien! It's a twist, like in an M. Night Shyamalan movie!"
* The whole point of [[http://marmadukeexplained.blogspot.com/ Marmaduke Explained]]: explain obvious, non-funny jokes in [[UnFunny a deadly serious manner]], thereby making them funny.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''JimmyNeutron'' "But I got a buzz-y signal! Get it? Buzz. It's the sound bees make."
* ''TheSimpsons'', "We're on the Road to D'owhere", with customary LampshadeHanging:
-->'''Chief Wiggum:''' Save it, Ma Peddle.\\
'''Lou:''' Ma Peddle?\\
'''Chief Wiggum:''' It's a reference to Ma Kettle, a movie character from the 1940s.\\
'''Lou:''' Chief, [[HypocriticalHumor if you have to explain it, it's not very good]].
** Inverted in "The Last Temptation of Krust" during the family's visit to a comedy club.
--->'''Comedian:''' I finally got around to reading the dictionary. Turns out the zebra did it.\\
''[crowd laughs]''\\
'''Homer:''' I don't get it.\\
'''Lisa:''' Dad, the zebra didn't do it, it's just a word at the end of the dictionary.\\
'''Homer:''' I still don't get it.\\
'''Lisa:''' It's just a joke.\\
'''Homer:''' Oh, I get it! I get jokes! ''[laughing]''
*** This is a legitimate technique to recover from flat jokes in real life...as long as your audience is [[GenreSavvy aware of this scene]].
** And there's the time Skinner and Chalmers try to do {{Abbott and Costello}}'s "[=~Who's On First?~=]" routine, with Skinner (in Costello's part even) explaining exactly what the gag is at the first opportunity.
--->'''Chalmers:''' "Well, Seymour, it seems we've put together a baseball team, and I was wondering; who's on first?"
--->'''Skinner:''' "Yes, not the pronoun, but rather a player with the unlikely name of 'Who', is on first!"
--->'''Chalmers:''' "Well, that's just great, Seymour. We've been out here six seconds and you've already managed to blow the routine!"
*** [[HypocriticalHumor Get it? Because Lou Costello is supposed to be the one who DOESN'T understand what's going on while Bud Abbot is the one trying to tell him who's on first. Instead. The idiot explained the joke!]]
** This excerpt from "[=McBain=]: Let's Get Silly":
--->'''[=McBain=]''': You ever notice how men always leave the toilet seat up? <pauses, but nobody laughs> That's the joke.
--->'''Heckler''': You suck, [=McBain=]! <[=McBain=] machine guns the crowd>
** From "Girls Just Want to Have Sums":
--->'''Bart''': I can finally walk around with Bart Jr. out. <pulls out frog and kisses it>
---><Bart Jr. croaks; subtitles read "I thought he meant his penis.">
** From "I'm Going to Praiseland":
--->'''Wiggum''': This place is more like "Crazeland" <confused murmurs from crowd>. Instead of "Praiseland" <crowd gets it>
--->'''Moe''': It's a play on words.
* In AvatarTheLastAirbender in Omashu, the Gaang is trying to guess the name of an Earthbender. Sokka comes up with:
--->'''Sokka''':Wait! I got it! He's an earthbender, right? So, what about. . . Rocky! You know? Because of all the rocks?
** Sokka also gives us this gem:
----> '''Aang''': Hey guys, I think this river is polluted.
----> '''Sokka''': Well that explains why I can't catch a fish around here. Because normally my fishing skills are off the hook... Get it? Like a fishing hook.
----> '''Toph''': Too bad your skills aren't *on* the hook.
* In ''RobotChicken'', they likewise allude to this {{Abbott and Costello}} routine with a shot of The Fourth Doctor from "Doctor Who" standing on first base eventually waving exasperatedly "Do you get it?!" ...Which is more like alluding that there's a joke present without saying what it is.
* In the ''DannyPhantom'' episode ''Shades of Gray'', Danny needlessly explains the joke "Who let the dogs in?". Embarassed, he goes ghost, and Sam shouts at him to bring back better jokes.
* Fozzie on ''MuppetBabies'' killed his already tepid jokes by explaining them.
* Occasionally done by O'Farrell on ''{{Fillmore}}''. This one followed a ChaseScene in which the perp was caught with a roll of bubble wrap.
-->'''O'Farrell:''' I'd say you two ''wrapped'' this case up rather nicely. Bubble wrap, that is! Get it? It's basically a play on the word "wrap"...
* ''[[{{Disney/ptitle3if599v0}} The Emperor's New Groove]]'':
-->'''Kuzco:''' Okay, I admit it. Maybe I wasn't as nice as I should have been, but, Yzma, do you really want to ''kill me?''\\
'''Yzma:''' Just think of it as, you're being let go, that your life's going in a different direction, that your body's part of a permanent outplacement.\\
'''Kronk:''' Hey, that's kinda like what he said to you when you got fired!\\
'''Yzma:''' I know. It's called a 'cruel irony' -- like my dependence on ''you''.
** A similar thing happens in ''{{Bolt}}''.
---> '''Mittens:''' That wasn't the deal! We had a deal!
---> '''Bolt:''' The deal just expired.
---> '''Pigeon:''' She said the same thing to me not ten minutes ago! The irony!
* On ''{{Arthur}}'', the eponymous character was called upon to decide where the family should take their trip. Arthur decided upon Washington, D.C.:
-->'''Arthur's father:''' That's a ''capital'' idea! ''(chuckles)'' Washington's the nation's capital.
-->'''Arthur:''' We got it the first time, Dad.
* One of the most frequent criticisms of ''FamilyGuy'' is that it explains the jokes; for example, during the FCC song:
--> And if you find yourself with some young sexy thing, \\
You'll have to do her with your ding-a-ling! \\
...'Cause you can't say "penis."
** This might be a subversion though, since the explanation is probably funnier than the joke itself.
** In one episode, Brian catches a rerun of ''OneDayAtATime''. Mocking Schneider's comic schtick, he announces that he's there to:
---> Fix your sink Ms. Romano, and by "fix your sink" I mean I'll have sex with you, and by "I have sex with you" I mean I'll fix your sink. And by "sink" I mean your reproductive organ. And by, "reproductive organ" I mean the thing between your knees, and by "the thing between your knees"? I... I guess that one's kind of self-explanatory.
---> '''Brian:''' Woo! Damn, Schneider; what ''won't'' you say?!
** FunnyForeigner Fouad does this all the time.
--->'''Guy:''' Hey, Fouad, can I buy you a cup of coffee?\\
'''Fouad:''' Ho, ho, ho, yes, it's funny cause it's free... anyone can have.\\
'''Guy:''' That's right...\\
'''Fouad:''' Ohhh ho ho ho!\\
'''Guy:''' That's the joke.\\
...\\
'''Peter:''' I think Fouad is an illegal immigrant. I cannot stand by while he steals wages and opportunities from citizens. I mean this is an American company, you don't see Nike or Microsoft or General Motors or Ford or Boeing or Coca Cola or Kellogs profiting from non American labor.
--->'''Fouad:''' Ohhh ho ho ho... it's funny because they all do!
** In the episode where Stewie goes to the performing arts school, his antagonist Olivia puts down a performance of his by giving an appraisal: "[[TheWeakestLink You are the weakest link. Goodbye.]]" Stewie then expounds ''very'' sarcastically about how ''totally'' not grossly misapplied, inappropriate, and uncreative it was (in an attempt to shame her and castrate the comment).
** "I don't know who to feel worse for, Meg or the pig!" "I feel worse for the pig!"
** Lampshaded In the episode "Screwed the Pooch" when Peter is playing poker with Carter and his celebrity friends.
--->'''Michael Eisner''' Are aces high or low?
--->'''Peter:''' They go both ways.
--->'''Bill Gates:''' He said they go both ways!
--->(Eveybody starts laughing)
--->'''Ted:''' Like a bisexual.
--->'''Michael Eisner:''' Thank you Ted, that was the joke.
* Dug the dog from ''{{Up}}'' gives us a particularly hilarious example: "Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, 'I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead.' Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead."
* A diner worker in ''GarfieldAndFriends'': "No more burgers until I see some lettuce, cat. It is ''money'' to which I refer."
* John Kennedy from ''CloneHigh'', who often used the joke type: "I'd like to X her Y....and by Y, I mean SEX!"
* From ''AmericanDad'':
-->'''Klaus''': I'd buy you ten muffin kiosks if I still had my human body. I'd do ''lots'' of things if I still had my human body. Because, you know, I'd have a penis.
** Also from ''AmericanDad''
--->'''Stan''' (showing Steve his favourite example of wood-burning): "'You Want It When?'" (laughs) "'You Want It When?'! Get it? It expresses disbelief at an unreasonable deadline."
* From ''Superjail''
-->'''Prisoner''': Hey Gary, I got a worm for your right here... I'm talking about my penis...
** [[spoiler:Bird then tears off the guy's penis so he and Gary can eat it.]]
* ClerksTheAnimatedSeries: The OverlyLongGag explaining Caitlyn's charity kissing booth [[DisSimile which costs nothing, isn't for charity, has no booth, is more than just kissing, and doesn't require customers to be male]] ends with "Dude, she's cheating on you."
* ''SouthPark'':
-->'''Cartman:''' Eh, too bad drinking scotch isn't a paying job, or else Kenny's dad would be a millionaire. [Silence] I said your dad would be a millionaire, get it?! Kenny?! Your family is poor, Kenny!! Your family's poor!!!
** Several of the Intervention-style captions in "Crippled Summer": "Mimsy has put the black mamba snake in the wrong canoe"; "Nathan's frustration with Mimsy has caused a momentary lapse in judgment. He has played the B flat himself, thus causing his plan to literally backfire on him."
* Zapp Brannigan of ''{{Futurama}}'' does this a lot. But there are several others:
** The crew watching a broadcast about Mom.
-->'''Announcer:''' And now, the woman who '''[[IncrediblyLamePun Mom]]'''[[IncrediblyLamePun opolizes]] the robot industry...
-->'''[[IdiotHero Fry]]:''' I get it!
-->'''Announcer:''' ..."Mom"!!
-->'''Fry:''' Ohhhh, ''now'' I get it!
** and...
-->'''Bender:''' You may have to metaphorically make a DealWithTheDevil. And by 'devil', I mean 'Robot Devil', and by 'metaphorically', I mean 'get your coat'.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Starfire subverts this trope.
--> '''Beast Boy:''' Hey guys, why are ducks so funny? [beat] Cuz' they're always quacking jokes!
-->[others groan]
--> '''Starfire:''' Oh I see. It is humorous because ducks lack the large brain capacity required for telling jokes. [giggles]
--> '''Robin:''' Actually, Starfire, it just wasn't funny.
* In the episode "[[EverythingsBetterWithPlatypus Chez Platypus]]" of ''{{Phineas and Ferb}}'' the boys go to an elegant restaurant to have dinner with their parents.
-->'''Phineas''': Dad, can I borrow your glasses? I can't see my entree. (beat) You know, beause it's so small.
-->'''Lawrence''': Yes, I think we got that.
** Don't forget in "The Beak":
-->'''The Beak''': All right, let's wrap this up. Hey, my first superhero pun.
-->'''Spectators''': Well, don't quit your day job, Mr. Comedian.
--> Actually, I thought it was pretty clever.
--> Yeah, because, see, it wrapped around the legs.
--> If you didn't like that one, maybe this'll be a hit.
--> Yeah, see, because-- Because he hit him.
--> I'm not an idiot, Charles.
** How about the time when the [[CreatorCameo creators]] explain jokes. Which for some reason, makes them funnier.
* ''{{Jimmy Two-Shoes}}''
-->'''Lucius''': We will fight over the [[BottomlessPit Abyss of Nothingness]]! To the winner goes victory! The loser gets...nothing! Get it? Abyss of Nothingness! Nothing!
* ''{{Archer}}'' pulls one and immediately regrets it:
-->'''Cyril:''' I've got one bullet left.\\
'''Spelvin:''' Does he?\\
'''Archer:''' I don't know. Who am I, Count Bullets...ula? Like Dracula-[[LameComeback that was bad]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Other]]
* Japanese humor can have a lot of this. A common "gag" is one character blurting out a non sequitur and another character shouting "THAT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE!"
** For more information, see BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine.
* "[[http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1779769 Turn that everyman into a BEVERYMAN! Bevery stands for BEVERAGE!]]"
** "[[http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1910868 It plays movies instead of books.]]"
* During the roast of Bob Saget, Norm Macdonald did this with lame and predictable jokes, turning his roast into a PostModern mockery of roasts themselves.
--> ''You have lot of well-wishers here tonight, and a lot of them would like to throw you down one... a well. [[MoodWhiplash They wanna murder you in a well]], which seems a bit harsh, but that's what it says here on this cue card''
* In a fan translation of the ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' manga, during the part where they're reading Kafuka's 'impossible goals list', we see that her third answer is some sort of obscure creature, confusing Nozomu and Jinroku. The translation includes a small footnote which explains what this creature is. Helpful, but ruins most of the joke...
** This happens a lot with translations, especially in print where the explanation can be given without interupting the flow of the story. AzumangaDaioh has a lot of this as well, as does [[MahouSenseiNegima Negima]], as both rely on puns for a large amount of the humor. In fact, the [[MahouSenseiNegima Negima]] volumes have a section in the back that explain the original joke, which usually helps more often than not as most of the jokes are translated pretty well, so it doesn't come up too often.
* In ThisWiki, tropers will actually "explain" the joke and {{Pothole}} the entire explanation to this page.
** [[DontExplainTheJoke This could be variation of the "Post Modern mockery" of this trope.]]
*** You see, that last point makes a meta-reference...
** Then there are all those tropers who obsessively PotHole every ArsonMurderAndJaywalking joke they make to the ArsonMurderAndJaywalking page...
** IncrediblyLamePun. Even for a pun that isn't immediately obvious, it's better to use AWorldwidePunomenon.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real Life]]
* Many stand-up comics use this as part of their act, especially to single out a heckler to explain the joke ''very slowly'' to them. Examples include Stephen Wright (who already has a notably slow delivery) and Ron White. Also helps to SPEAK VERY LOUDLY, in case they don't understand English in a normal (ie, amplified through microphone) tone.
* Whenever [=~Fark.com~=] greenlights a headline with an overused meme (which occurs only every two or three minutes), someone will reply why it's "funny" in full SarcasmMode. For example, whenever a Sarah Jessica Parker headline with a horse pun is greenlighted, someone will say, "Oh, it's funny because Mrs. Parker's face is hideously elongated, not unlike a horse's face!"
* [[TheHouseOfPlantagenet Henry II of England]] apparently fell foul of this one, having to explain to his court that when his jester pointed out that he looked "like a bastard son of a tanner's daughter", he was in fact referring to his great-grandfather, William the Conqueror. [[SelfDeprecatingHumor Henry thought it was funny, if no one else did.]]
** Henry II predated the Magna Carta. No matter how funny it was, admitting that you thought so does not seem to be a move calculated to enhance longevity.
* During his annual speech/stand up comedy routine at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, President Obama released his [[SelfDeprecatingHumor "official birth video"]]: a clip from ''TheLionKing''. He then went on to make sure everyone understood the humor:
-->'''President Obama''': "I wanna make clear to the Fox News table...that was a joke. That was not my real birth video. That was a children's cartoon. Call Disney if you don't believe me; they have the [[TakeThat original long-form version]]."
** Less making sure that everyone understood, and more him [[YouSuck taking a shot at]] FoxNews.
[[/folder]]
----
Now that you're at the ''tail end'' of the article, perhaps you'd like to add a Troper's ''Tail'' [[TroperTales/{{Ptitle0t9r68ih}} here]]. It's not an actual animal's tail, but a pun on the word "tale".
