antijoke

An antijoke is a form of humor that intentionally forgoes a traditional punchline, delivering a literal, mundane, or non-twisting ending to a setup that would ordinarily produce a joke.

Origin and usage: The term gained prominence in late 20th-century humor and online culture. It is associated with deadpan and anti-humor styles, and has been propagated by stand-up performers and meme-driven communities. Antijokes are used to subvert expectations and to explore the boundaries of humor, often producing amusement through awkwardness or cognitive dissonance.

Structure and examples: A typical antijoke begins with a familiar joke setup or prompt, but the payoff is a literal fact, a straightforward statement, or a deliberately understated observation rather than a twist. The humor arises from the mismatch between the audience’s anticipation of a clever resolution and the plain or obvious conclusion. Formats vary, including questions answered with obvious facts, or short narratives that proceed without a conventional punchline.

Reception and variation: Antijokes can range from dry and philosophical to absurd, and frequently rely on timing, minimalism, and deadpan delivery. They are related to anti-humor and to broader traditions of subverting conventional joke structures. In practice, their appeal often depends on the reader’s tolerance for understatement and for humor that emerges from the absence of a traditional payoff.