EXCLUSIVE Hate your Dad's jokes? Don't worry, humour doesn't run in the family, study finds

Daily Mail​

12 hours ago

They're the groan-worthy one-liners and corny puns that usually make an appearance at any family gathering.
But if you hate your Dad's jokes don't worry – as it's unlikely you'll follow in his comedy footsteps, according to a study.
Experts have found that, unlike intelligence or eye colour, humour doesn't run in the family.
In the first ever study to look at the influence of genes and the environment on comedic abilities, scientists compared over a thousand twins by asking them to create funny captions for cartoons.
The new findings, published in the journal Twin Research and Human Genetics, revealed there was no evidence that they inherited their humorous talents.
The study contained a mix of both identical twins, who share 100 per cent of their DNA, and non-identical twins, who are like any biological siblings and share about 50 per cent of their DNA.
If comedic ability was inherited, then the researchers would have expected to see stronger humour similarities between the identical twins compared to the non-identical twins.
However, they discovered that across all twin pairs, individuals shared the same level of comedic ability.
This indicates that humour is shaped by the environment – such as growing up in the same household - rather than genetics, the team said.
However, they said a small genetic effect could not be ruled out.
The results suggest that the reasons why you are funny or your jokes are met with silence may be more complex and difficult to assess than other cognitive abilities.
It could also help explain the rarity of comedy duos from the same family - such as the Chuckle Brothers or the Marx Brothers - compared to actors, musicians or writers.
Dr Gil Greengross, from the Psychology Department at Aberystwyth University, led the study.
He said: 'Despite humour's importance, relatively little is known about how we develop our sense of humour or why one sibling can be funny and another cannot.
'Our study's finding that these talents are not inherited is surprising, as it contradicts most research on the heritability of cognitive abilities such as creativity and mathematical skills.
'So, it is really fascinating. But since this is the first study of its kind, these results should be interpreted with caution.'
He explained that while telling a joke may seem simple, having a good sense of humour is a complex and unique trait that is influenced by a range of psychological attributes and personality characteristics.
'It varies across different social contexts, like when going on a date or entertaining,' he said.
'This may explain why, Chuckle and Marx Brothers aside, there are few successful comedians from the same immediate family.
'What is exciting about this research is it begs the question: if our sense of humour is not handed down from our parents but comes from our environment, what is it precisely that makes us funny?'
The findings also have implications for how scientists think about humour's role in evolution and even dating.
Dr Greengross added: 'These early findings also challenge the widely accepted evolutionary basis of humour.
'A great sense of humour can help ease tension in dangerous situations, foster cooperation, break down interpersonal barriers, and attract mates—all of which enhance survival and reproduction.
'There are also intriguing dating and mating aspects to this.
'Previous research has shown that women prioritise comedic talents in a partner more than do men, whereas men value a women's ability to appreciate their humour.
'Men experience stronger selection pressure to be funny to impress women, leading to men having slightly higher humour ability, on average — a finding supported by our study.
'Furthermore, men rated themselves as funnier than women, likely reflecting an awareness of humour's importance in female mate choice.'
Despite being cringeworthy, Dad jokes are important in helping children learn to be embarrassed by their parents, other experts have said.
MailOnline has previously revealed 40 of the funniest Dad jokes, as used in a 2019 study by researchers from UCL.
The hilarious quips include 'What do you call a man with a spade on his head?' - the answer of which, of course, is 'Dug!'
40 of the most groan-worthy Dad jokes
What do you call a bear with no socks on? Bare foot.
What button is impossible to unbutton? The belly button.
What did Michael Jackson call his denim store? Billie Jeans.
What is invisible and smells of worms? A bird's fart.
What do you call a Minecraft celebration? A block party.
Who is the best Kung Fu vegetable? Brocc‐Lee.
What do you call a rabbit who is angry over getting burnt? A hot cross bunny.
What did the butt say to the other butt? PTTTTT.
What's orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot.
Why couldn't the toilet paper cross the road? He got stuck in a crack.
What's round and sounds like a trumpet? A crumpet.
What do you call a sleeping dinosaur? A dino‐SNORE.
What do you call a man with a spade on his head? Dug.
What kind of hair do they sell at IHOP? Eggstensions.
What do you call an Asian man who always has correct change? Exact Lee.
What do you call an apple that farts? A fruity Tooty.
What is the best day to cook? FRY‐DAY.
What did the horse say when it fell? GIDDYUP!
What do you receive when you ask a lemon to help? Lemon aid
Why can't you give Elsa a balloon? Because she will let it go.
When does a sandwich cook? When it is bakin' lettuce and tomato.
Why did the smart phone need glasses? It lost all its contacts.
What state has the smallest drinks? Mini‐soda.
Why did the cow cross the road? They wanted to go to the mooooovies.
What do you call a funky car? Mustang.
What did the hammer say to his homeboys? Nailed it.
Why are cats good at video games? Because they have nine lives.
What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idea.
What is big and green and falls off over the tree will kill you? A snooker table.
What did the French guy do when he drank too much water? He went oui oui in his pants.
Where do pencils spend their vacation? Pencil‐Vania.
What do flies eat for breakfast? A bowl of poop loops.
Why did the balloon go near the needle? He wanted to be a pop star.
What did the duck do when he read all these jokes? He quacked up.
Why was the tomato all red? It saw the salad dressing.
What do you call a female magician in the dessert? A sand witch.
How do billboards talk? Sign language.
What is brown and sticky? A stick.
I hurt my foot driving the other day. You know what I called? The toe company.
What does a dinosaur use to pay bills? Tyrannosaurus checks.