I’m not sure how many of you know this, but today (July 1st) is International Joke Day and to celebrate a scientist has decided to reveal the World’s Funniest Joke. What a time to be alive.
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You can watch Gregory Brown discuss it in the YouTube video below, or just read it underneath. It’s probably funnier if you actually watch the video though as there’s just something better about hearing a joke rather than reading it on the page:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses.
He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed.
The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services.
He gasps: “My friend is dead! What can I do?”
The operator says: “Calm down, I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.”
There is a silence, then a shot is heard.
Back on the phone, the guy says: “OK, now what?”
Meh that got a little chuckle out of me but I wouldn’t say that it was sidesplittingly funny or anything. I suppose it just isn’t the same reading it on the page is it?
Anyway, if you’re wondering how this was determined as the funniest joke in the world, then psychologist Dr Richard Wiseman is more than happy to explain it:
We set up the study through website LaughLab in 2001, where over the course of a year I invited 1.5 million people across the world to rate five randomly selected jokes out of a database of over 40,000.
Many of the jokes submitted received higher ratings from certain groups of people, but this one had real universal appeal.
Also, we find jokes funny for lots of different reasons.
They sometimes make us feel superior to others, reduce the emotional impact of anxiety-provoking situations or surprise us because of some kind of incongruity.
The hunters joke contained all three elements.
That kinda sounds like a legit way to determine it. Just thought that the World’s Funniest Joke might be a bit funnier, you know? Enjoy the rest of International Joke Day.
For more of the same, check out 25 jokes that you’re probably too stupid to understand. Bummer.
