My barber told me one joke and it made me rethink my whole delivery

So I was getting a trim on Saturday at Lou's Barbershop downtown and he hit me with this classic: 'Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field.' I laughed but then he said the secret is the pause before the punchline, not just the words. He waited like 2 full seconds and looked me dead in the eye, which made the hit way harder. I went home and tried it on my wife with the same joke, and she actually snorted for the first time in ages. Now I'm wondering if the timing matters more than the joke itself. Has anyone else found that a long pause or a straight face changes how a joke lands, or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_thomas22d ago

Wait, did Lou charge you extra for that comedy lesson? Tbh, my old barber used to just talk about the weather for 40 minutes straight. But your post makes me think about my buddy Carl, he told me the same joke at a BBQ and he rushed the punchline so bad I didn't even realize it was a joke until like ten seconds later. Now I just picture him staring at a grill with that dead eye look and I can't stop laughing. Honestly, the pause thing only works if you commit to it, otherwise you look like you forgot your own joke.

cora86322d ago

Lou charging extra for a comedy lesson is the real punchline here, honestly. Like, you're already paying him to cut your hair, and now he's out here giving free standup tips in the middle of a fade? Either he's really bored or he thinks he's on Netflix. And yeah, Carl rushing a joke is a classic move, but I'm not sure we need to analyze it like it's some deep comedy workshop situation. Pause, no pause, who cares, it's a barbershop, not a mic night. Next thing you know we'll be grading his scissor work on delivery and timing too.