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I compared telling a pun with a straight setup versus a misdirect and the results were night and day
So at the family dinner last Sunday, I tried two different approaches. First I told 'Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field.' Standard setup, everyone groaned but laughed. Then I hit them with 'I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes... and she gave me a hug.' The misdirect one got twice the groans and my dad actually snorted. Idk if it's just me but I feel like the twist ending lands way harder every time. Does anyone else tweak their setups depending on the crowd?
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taraanderson12d ago
The scarecrow pun is practically a dad joke starter kit though. Everyone knows the setup so the groan is basically automatic. The misdirect one hits different because people think they know where it's going and then you blindside them. That snort from your dad is the gold standard for pun success honestly. I've noticed the more unexpected the twist the louder the groan which is basically scientific proof it works better. Must be why the best comedians save the curveballs for the punchline.
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davis.adam12d ago
Nailed it man. That snort is the real trophy.
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mark_price12d ago
The timing of the pun delivery matters more than anyone's giving credit for here... like if you drop a misdirect pun too fast you ruin the whole thing. You gotta give people that half-second pause to think they've got it figured out before you pull the rug out. That's the real skill behind getting that snort laugh from your dad. The scarecrow pun works because it's a slow burn setup where everyone's already committed to the groan before you even finish. But the misdirect one needs that perfect beat of silence... too many people rush it and miss the payoff entirely.
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