History Main / DontExplainTheJoke

[[caption-width-right:350:[-It seems jokes are something ComicBook/TheJoker ''doesn't'' like to kill. [[SelfDemonstratingArticle Get it? It's because he's a murderer with a comedy theme!]]]]-]

* A review of Brazilian movie ''Os Parças'' complains that a joke is ruined because of this: a criminal orders his henchman to "do a Clark Kent" on someone, and so the guy is thrown out the window. A few moments later, someone asks why it was called that, and the criminal explains "ComicBook/{{Superman}} flies... Clark Kent crashes to the ground!"

* ''WebAnimation/WeeblAndBob'': [[http://www.weebls-stuff.com/onthemoon/On+The+Moon+ep.17/ Episode 17]] of "On the Moon" inverts this when Insanity Prawn Boy mistakenly thinks the Toast King is making a knock-knock joke.

''[[{{Stinger}} Geddit?]]''

Occasionally in this case, where the joke does work, an audience member will guffaw and burst out with an explanation of why they are laughing. "See, it's funny because now it's ''his'' turn in the barrel! Hee-haw-hee-haw." We laugh at this jackass, for reasons we all know and need not discuss, as we are too wise to explain the obvious.

* The [[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page explain xkcd]] website is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: a wiki solely dedicated to explaining each and every joke and reference in the Webcomic/{{xkcd}} webcomic. Because, you know, ViewersAreMorons.

Like this: Comedian tells a joke. The joke doesn't get a laugh. The joke is dead. The comic sincerely tries to explain why the joke (should be) funny. This makes the comedian look ridiculous, which ''does'' get a laugh. We won't go into why ridiculous comedians are funny. [[SelfDemonstratingArticle That would be explaining the joke, which you cannot make us do.]]

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''[='=]s dub is absolutely rife with bad puns, and sometimes {{lampshade|Hanging}}s this: "Looks like I'm all in one...PEACE! Haha, see, it's funny, because I'm making a 'peace' sign!"

** ''Literature/WitchesAbroad''. Granny Weatherwax tells a joke, [[TheComicallySerious 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]]), Creator/TerryPratchett explained it thus:

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'', talking about the Cozy Cone Motel:

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'', On [[https://garfield.com/comic/2012/04/26 April 26, 2012,]] a spider about to be swatted said it was okay as long as Garfield didn't sit on it, and then explained he said it because Garfield was fat.
* In one ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' strip, Steve Dallas, who is representing Bill the Cat, who has been arrested for selling secrets to the Soviets, asks a guy at the FBI building just what these secrets were (Keep in mind, the strip was released before 1988):

'''FBI guy:''' (''frantic'') Well, that's the secret!![[note]]Of course, this would prove HilariousInHindsight, as George Bush would eventually gain enough appeal to be elected President.[[/note]]

Might also be some aversions tho.

A SubTrope of MeasuringTheMarigolds. Compare LampshadedDoubleEntendre and EuphemismBuster, JustJokingJustification. May be the outcome of PoesLaw, when a satire/parody fails because the audience didn't realise it is a satire/parody and took it seriously. Deliberate use of the trope is a common stable in AntiHumor. ResolvedNoodleIncident can lead to this when the explanation is less satisfying than the original mystery.

A SubTrope of MeasuringTheMarigolds. Compare LampshadedDoubleEntendre and EuphemismBuster, JustJokingJustification. May be the outcome of PoesLaw, when a satire/parody fails because the audience didn't realise it is a satire/parody and took it seriously. Deliberate use of the trope is a common stable in AntiHumor.

* On [[https://garfield.com/comic/2012/04/26 April 26, 2012,]] a spider about to be swatted said it was okay as long as ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} didn't sit on it, and then explained he said it because Garfield was fat.
* [[http://www.avclub.com/articles/bloom-county-to-get-republished-at-last,23496/ The upcoming treasury collections]] of the legendary comic strip ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' will probably runneth over this trope. Since much of the humor is a product of the 1980s, 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.

* Deliberately exploited in ''[[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47038/book-of-the-dead Book of the Dead]]'', when Dove ''wants'' everyone to be fed up with him and walk away, so he can have a private chat with Tyron.

* A review of Brazilian movie ''Os Parças'' complains that a joke is ruined because of this: a criminal orders his henchman to "do a Clark Kent" on someone, and so the guy is thrown out the window. A few moments later, someone asks why it was called that, and the criminal explains "Comicbook/{{Superman}} flies... Clark Kent crashes to the ground!"

* ''Film/TheMuppets'':

* ''Webvideo/AtopTheFourthWall'' complained about the first issue of ''Comicbook/{{Marville}}'' having an "insider's guide" explaining who various celebrities and superheroes who eventually appearing on the comic as this, down to playing the ''Westernanimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' clip that the page image inspired.

-> ''"Chet, old sport," Jack said, giving Chet a pat on the back, "thanks for being the cavalry, and I'll see you back at the orifice in a few minutes." "Orifice" was a comical malapropism for "office" that Jack and Chet frequently used when speaking with each other."''

A SubTrope of MeasuringTheMarigolds. Compare LampshadedDoubleEntendre and EuphemismBuster, JustJokingJustification. May be the outcome of PoesLaw, when a satire/parody fails because the audience didn't realise it is a satire/parody and took it seriously. Deliberate use the trope is a common stable in AntiHumor.

A SubTrope of MeasuringTheMarigolds. Compare LampshadedDoubleEntendre and EuphemismBuster, JustJokingJustification. May be the outcome of PoesLaw, when a satire/parody fails because the audience didn't realise it is a satire/parody and took it seriously.

* WebVideo/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 ''Film/SuperMarioBros'' 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.

* The ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has the humorous [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-005-j-ex SCP-005-J-EX]], a "cognitohazardous meme" that causes people to think that jokes are still funny after they've been explained. The Foundation is suppressing its spread by telling people that doing so is "really annoying".

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'': "I'm on cloud control! Ha ha! Get it? Instead of "crowd," I said... Aww, never mind."

* A random conversation between Joker and EDI in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' has Joker telling her a joke about a krogan and a salarian. When he's finished, EDI breaks this rule and then proceeds to dissect the stereotypes behind the joke, which in turn forces Joker to explain that the stereotypes are ''exactly why'' the joke is told by members of both races, adding that "Comedy isn't about being nice. Sometimes it's about airing out the nasty things people think."
** Even when EDI does make jokes, she tends to be bad at conveying sarcasm, and often has to clarify "That is a joke." when people take her seriously.
* An incident at the inn in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' offers a {{discussed|Trope}} Type 1. [[SociopathicHero Qara]] calls [[CuteMonsterGirl Neeshka]] "tail-for-brains". When Neeshka complains that her brains aren't in her tail, Qara says said brains must be next to it, and that she should loosen the back of her pants because they're obviously not getting enough air.
-->'''Neeshka:''' Okay, explain that one to me.\\
'''[[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Khelgar Ironfist]]:''' Well, she said your brains are next to your tail... which would imply that your brains are in your rear end. And that means you breathe through your--\\
'''Neeshka:''' Okay, okay, I get it, all right? Little witch.\\
'''Khelgar:''' Don't take it so hard. I had to explain it, which means the insult's a failure.
* ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'':
** Handsome Jack over-explains one of his jabs at his ex, [[ReallyGetsAround Mad Moxxi]]:
--->'''Handsome Jack:''' Once you've eaten prime rib for free, it's hard to go back to suckin' down hamburgers for cash. If you know what I'm talking about. Do you know what I'm talking about? (''{{beat}}'') Dicks. I'm talkin' about dicks.
** During the side-quest "The Ice Man Cometh", Claptrap has the Vault Hunters sabotage the heaters in a bandit camp in the hopes that the bandits will "chill out". When this [[LamePunReaction fails to get a laugh]], Claptrap [[ComicallyMissingThePoint assumes the Vault Hunters have]] NoSenseOfHumor and launches into an excessively detailed explanation of the concept of puns and why his joke was supposed to be funny.
** In the same game, Scooter makes a pretty obvious, humorous euphemism for sex, and after a brief pause blatantly says, "That's sex."
* In the flash game ''VideoGame/CrystalStory II'' (available at Armorgames.com), the Orcacle insist in explaining the pun of her name combining oracle, her job, with orc, her species. She finds it hilarious; the player character doesn't, but then again, he's aghast whenever he's talking with almost anyone.
* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': The Rose of Sharon Cassidy, when explaining the NCR building a massive statue as part of a Mojave-sized dick-waving contest.
-->'''Cass:''' Nobody's dick that's long! Not even Long Dick Johnson, and he had a fuckin' long dick. Hence, the name.
* In one chapter of ''VideoGame/TheDarksideDetective'', [=McQueen=] is called out to a campground to investigate the disappearance of a scout leader. After examining the scene of the crime (campfire, a couple of portable canvas shelters, etc.) he attempts to cheer up the scouts with a joke about the situation being "two tents". When it doesn't get a laugh, he attempts to explain it, which doesn't go over any better.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' world of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', Mike tries getting a laugh out of Boo with a [[DroppedGlasses dropped contact lens]] routine. Sulley, the only one who gets the joke, has to spell the punchline out to a clueless Sora:
-->'''Sulley:''' Yeah, it's 'cause [[{{Oculothorax}} his eye's so big]]. The joke is you can't lose a contact the size of a dinner plate.

* The ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'' focusing on [[Franchise/{{Batman}} the Joker]] vs. [[Literature/{{It}} Pennywise]] sees the Joker get annoyed at explaining his jab about Creator/StephenKing's cocaine habit after it went over Pennywise's head.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce'' has a "Don't Explain the Insult" variant at the beginning of the satellite 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]].

Fanfic/{{Cupcakes}}! Get it?

-->'''Guide 1''': (''to the camera'') Bad guy falls in poop: ''Classic'' element of [[{{Slapstick}} physical comedy]]! Now comes the part where we throw our heads back and laugh! Ready?\\