Some jokes fail because the audience may lack the necessary background knowledge or cultural context to understand them. For instance, certain jokes involving wordplay or unfamiliar concepts can confuse listeners who do not possess the required insights, leading them to miss the punchline entirely [1]. Additionally, individual audience characteristics play a significant role; stable differences in humor preferences mean that what one person finds funny, another might not, suggesting that the effectiveness of humor largely depends on knowing your audience [3].

Moreover, disparagement humor can backfire depending on the social context and perceived norms, potentially leading to misinterpretation that triggers negative social consequences rather than laughter [5].

Why do some jokes fail?

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