1.Our Episode on #DadJokes
Our theme for this episode was #DadJokes, in honor of Father’s Day on June 16th. Dad jokes are quips that employ play on words or corny puns, usually delivered with utter confidence by middle-aged men to family members.
In the episode, we featured a number of so-bad-they’re-good jokes that fit into the classic dad joke mold.
Take this one, which involves homophones—words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings:
“What do you call someone with no body and just a nose? Nobody knows,” #dadjokes
— Elevation Books (@elevation_books) June 13, 2019
Or this one, which involves a pun—a joke that exploits the fact that a word or phrase that has multiple meanings.
After 20 years working on it, I finally finished my physics book..
— Dad Jokes (@Dadsaysjokes) June 11, 2019
...it was about time.
As these examples illustrate, dad jokes often take the form of a question and answer exchange, or a riddle.
“American jokes" (アメリカン・ジョークis a term Japanese use to refer to jokes that go over their heads due to American cultural, social, or political references) consist of a “setup" (or フリ in Japanese) and a punchline (オチ). Japanese comedy involves a third element: the tsukkomi (ツッコミ), where the punchline is followed by someone else interjecting in a manner that emphasizes or explains why the punchline was funny. Most American comedy does not include this element, although some comedians purposely chide audiences for being unresponsive—as a way to break the tension in the room. In any case, both American dad jokes and Japanese oyaji gyagu (literally, old-man gags) are the kind of jokes that are either so simple or so bad that they do not deserve the dignity of an explanation.
That being said, while the joke itself may be lame, there is usually something lovable in the earnestness with which it delivered. That earnestness, of course, is a manifestation of a father’s sincere desire to be liked by his children and his family.
All around the world, a father is someone who puts their nose to the grindstone, who pours their heart and soul into their children in the hopes of filling their lives with joy. And while young children may look up to their cool dad, with adolescence comes the revelation that he is actually uncool and totally lame. Nevertheless, the father remains undeterred, willing to use every trick in the book to bring his children back to his side. Dad jokes reflect a difference in values and just how unrelatable a father and his kids consider one another. In other words, it is the epitome of the tragedy of being a dad.
2.Father vs. Dad
Why is Father’s Day for fathers, while dad jokes are made by dads?
The word father carries connotations of dignity and formality. For example, the United States of America was established by the Founding Fathers, and is a nation under the Heavenly Father (that is, the Christian God). As a counterpart to Mother Nature and Mother Earth, we have Father Time. And the term father figure is used to refer to someone who has paternal qualities and acts as an emotional substitute to a biological father.
Father also implies a biological connection, or as Merriam-Webster puts it, “a man who has begotten a child". It is also used figuratively, as in “the father of modern literature".
Dad, on the other hand, carries homey, more familial connotations. A dad is a devoted father (or sometimes, a father figure) who plays catch with his kids, who helps them with their homework, and is committed to providing for them. As the saying goes, “Any man can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a dad".
Behind every father’s devotion, of course, is the desire to be liked by his kids and family. As a result, dads can often be overeager and quite unhip. Americans love to kick off their day by drinking subpar coffee out of personalized mugs; the World’s Greatest Dad mug perfectly encapsulates the inherent uncoolness of dads across the land. A dad is unabashed about his “dadness", and that confidence is what makes dad jokes so endearing.
Dadness manifests itself in more than what a dad says—it pervades what he wears, too. For example, the typical dad ensemble includes dad jeans, which are ill-fitting, washed-out, and pulled up a little too high around the hem of a shirt. And at the end of every pair of dad jeans is a pair of dad sneakers—thick-soled orthopedic shoes that often take the form of New Balance 990s. The late Steve Jobs was an icon of dad fashion. (Although he wore designer turtlenecks by Issei Miyake.)
Finally, middle-aged dads beset by the responsibilities of work and child-rearing often let themselves go, resulting in what is known as a dad bod. The term is one of affection rather than disparagement, and in fact, surveys indicate that many women find dad bods endearing. (American women tend to be drawn to teddy bear types.) Fret not men, for you don’t have to be a dad to have a dad bod—all you have to do is consistently indulge in one beer too many.
Here’s a classic dad joke about dad bods:
This is not a dad bod. This is my father figure.
3.Japanese “Oyaji Gyagu" Can Cause a Sudden Chil
Japan, naturally, has its own version of the dad joke: the celebrated oyaji gyagu (old-man gag).
Here is a classic oyaji gyagu that every Japanese has uttered at one time or another:
布団が吹っ飛んだ。
Futon ga futtonda.
(The futon flew away. )
Other standards include:
こんにゃくを今夜食う。
Konnyaku wo konya kuu.
(I will eat devil’s tongue tonight.)
犬がいぬ。
Inu ga inu.
(The dog is not there.)
猿がさる。
Saru ga saru.
(The monkey left.)
Like their American counterparts, oyaji gyagu make ample use of puns (ダジャレ).
Like their American counterparts, the reaction these jokes provoke is much the same: くだらない(lame), つまらない(not funny), and リアクションに困る(I don’t know what to say). However, there is one response that it seems to me is uniquely Japanese: 寒い (literally, I feel a chill). For the Japanese, unfunny jokes and lame puns have the power to cast a chill over a room, to affect the very atmosphere of a space.
On the other hand, in the U.S., people tend not to defer so much to the 空気 (the air or atmosphere) of a space. Instead, comedy is used to evoke visceral, gut-level reactions (or rejections) from each individual in the audience. Some jokes are intended to draw the kind of belly laughs that lead to a coughing fit, while other jokes deliberately seek to make people groan. Dad jokes squarely fit into the latter camp. To someone who is delivering a dad joke, it doesn’t matter if no one laughs—only that they groan. Dad jokes are meant to be groan-worthy.
It would be remiss of me if I did not mention Dave Spector, an American gaijin tarento (foreign TV personality) whose persona is a cross between a cheesy American dad and a punny Japanese oyaji.
Spector continues to regale audiences nationwide with his regular TV appearances as well as on Twitter, where he posts oyaji gyagu on a daily basis:
梅干しを投げるヒーロー→スッパイダーマン
— デーブ・スペクター (@dave_spector) June 13, 2019
What do you call a hero who throws umeboshi? Suppaida-man
(Umeboshi is Japanese pickled plum, and suppai is the Japanese word for sour. Suppaida-man is a pun on Spider-man.)
６月誕生日の人へ→ハッピーバースデー梅雨～～♪
— デーブ・スペクター (@dave_spector) June 10, 2019
To everyone with a June birthday: “Happy Birthday Tsuyu♪”
(Tsuyu is the Japanese word for the rainy season that lasts from June to mid-July.)
Side note, Spector calls his dad jokes “cool gags”—clearly, a play on the notion that oyaji gyagu can cast a chill over a room, and his own unapologetic confidence in his coolness as a father figure. He’s a man who bridges the two cultures.
4.Why Americans Love Dad Jokes
Japanese owarai (comedy) is pure entertainment—for the laughs, plain and simple. In the U.S., comedy is often more than just entertainment (although it certainly can be that). It is a way to speak truth to power, or address—and hopefully dispel—harmful stereotypes. For that reason, American comedy is frequently political in nature, an outlet for scathing commentary or righteous fury regarding current events. Depending on the mood of the times, it can feel disingenuous not to address the political elephant in the room, and even cowardly or out of touch with the times.
On the other hand, owarai in Japan rarely, if ever, addresses political themes. Unlike American comedy, which at its best aspires to speak to each individual member of an audience at the gut-level, owarai is all about the 空気 (the air or atmosphere) of a space. That means that it is often in the best interest of comedians—and the room—to stay away from touchy and taboo subject matter. Instead, they explore material that everyone finds funny.
That being said, general American audiences as of late seem to have become fatigued, even numb when it comes to political comedy. No surprise—with a reality TV host in the highest office of the land, Washington itself has in many ways become a reality TV show. To put it another way, the American reality has become a farce (or perhaps a tragedy) far more elaborate than any comedy could ever be.
This state of affairs is perhaps one reason why dad jokes have made such a comeback in recent years. Dad jokes are not politically divisive and are generally clean—meaning that they can be enjoyed by people of all ages and gender identities. The term “dad joke" itself is said to have entered the American lexicon in the 2000s. And a quick search on Amazon brings up no fewer than 10 books on dad jokes published in the past few years alone.
The key lies in the good-natured, playful spirit behind dad jokes. They are not meant to criticize, judge, or ridicule, but rather to cause everybody within range to roll their eyes, shake their heads, and let out a groan. In times like these, they are just the painkillers Americans need.
One last dad joke for the road:
When does a joke become a dad joke?
When the punchline is apparent.
5.My Wardrobe For This Episode
Khaki-colored jacket by Global Style
Brown trousers by GlobalStyle
White linen shirt by Azabu Tailor
“Poe" brown double monk strap shoes by Paraboot
