'I just cannot fake laugh anymore': Couple sparks debate on fake laughing at bad jokes vs just ignoring it to make or break the relationship

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    Water - 4
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    Font - Posted by u/Otherwise_Soil39 17 hours ago 8 Am I wrong for pretending I did not hear a bad joke, or should I make it clear that I heard the joke, and that it wasn't funny.
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    Font - My girlfriend is saying that I am being asocial when we meet friends, because soemtimes I will act as if I did not hear a joke, when the joke is painful unfunny and I can not pretend to laugh.
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    Font - My girlfriend is saying that I it is painfully obvious that I had heard the joke but "actively ignored" it, which makes it more offensive to the "joke maker" and that I should instead address the joke with the following phrase: "Oh, really?" In a serious tone.
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    Font - I find that absurd. Who would want to be actively confronted on their bad joke? especially when it's a group of people, I think pretending not to have heard a joke, gives the "joke maker" a way out.
  • 06
    Font - Who is right here? Btw. This post is written by both of us so you get 100% both sides of the story.
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    Font - dirtyfucker69 17 hr. ago Personally I might be hurt but if my joke isn't funny ignore it
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    Font - Rich_Sell_9888 14 hr. ago She wasn't suggesting laughing she told op to say "Oh really" as a put down to the jokester
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    Font - Artistic-Race-1515. 17 hr. ago No you're right and I'm also sick of fake laughing at peoples st_t/rde/dumb jokes maybe I will do the same
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    Font - MewMixDNA· 16 hr. ago Nobody is obligated to laugh at a something they don't find funny. You don't have to give attention to the person making the joke as y'all apparently have friends that are also there to give said person attention. It's really not that deep. Not everything needs a physical reaction
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    Font - Darkflyer726 15 hr. ago I used to fake laugh at my dad's disgusting and more than a little racial, jokes because of was uncomfortable but raised to make others comfortable even if I wasn't.
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    Font - DON'T DO THAT. It encourages the behavior. I intentionally let the silence drag out and say clearly, "That's not funny" and when he insists it is, I ask him how and to explain why it's funny.
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    Font - He usually can't just devolves to "nO oNe cAn tAkE a Joke aNyMorE. pEoPIE dIdNt uSeD to bE SO sEnSaTiVe" He said he missed the old days when people could "say whatever they wanted because it was acceptable "
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    Font - I said "Yeah, jokes about physically and sexually abusing your wife and beating kids when they didn't 'listen' well enough or had undiagnosed disabilities. That's acceptable, right? That's funny? "Well, NO. It's not ok to talk or joke about beating your wife or kids"
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    Font - "Well they did it. It was back then, acceptable wasn't it?" "....well no" "OH ok. So it's almost like we, as a society, no longer stand for that kind of behavior since it isn't and never was acceptable. So we CHANGED when we realized this behavior wasn't ok, and it hurt people. Why wouldn't we do that for 'jOkEs' like that"
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    Font - He got really quiet for a minute and just said he wouldn't say stuff like that TO ME anymore since I didn't like or appreciate it. Call out the behavior. Make them feel terrible. Jokes thst are funny don't need to punch down, especially to marginalized groups.
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    Rectangle - Top-Bit85 16 hr. ago Omg never laugh at a bad joke! The polite thing to do is exactly what you are doing. Not wrong.
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    Font - SLPERAS 13 hr. ago Does other people laugh at the joke? And do you regularly find yourself at this situation? If that's the case the problem might be you. Not the joke.
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    Font - DankyMcJangles 9 hr. ago ● I totally agree with the give a quick chuckle/smile and move on. It's called being gracious. OP seems to severely lack social skills and seems to take the idea of forcing a smile/laugh personally.
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    Font - It makes me wonder if they're on the spectrum or just a snobbish a hole. Either way doesnt sound like a fun person to be around. GF should just leave them at home during get togethers.
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    Font - As far as people questioning the nature of the jokes, OP even says one of their replies that it's not that the jokes are insensitive, racial, bigoted, etc, it's just that they aren't funny. OP is in the wrong here and antisocial AF

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