Social protocol: bad jokes

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If someone told me a bad joke, and I didn't laugh, and then they proceeded to explain it, I'd wave them off, "No, no, no... I get it. It's just..."
*look at them with an apologetic look and a smile*
"...That wasn't funny."

In other words, I tell them precisely what I think, and use specific body language to diffuse excessive force or negativity.

Too many people play polite. Chronic politeness, at the expense of honesty, is a disservice to others.

i believe that before a person tells a joke, they should be prepared to diagram it if it fails- either that, or do as johnny carson did, and dance the "tea for two" soft-shoe jig [do something silly in order to salvage the stillborn funny moment].

why bother? if it fails, then it is even funnier. there is nothing much more funny than a face that is gripped with puzzlement at a joke i said that they do not understand.
if they laugh at my jokes, then i feel invaded upon, and i will distance myself from it.



that is not what i would do. it seems that one is desperate for approval and paranoid about being misunderstood if they are moved to perform a silly dance to ameliorate the circumstance.

a puzzled expression is good enough to entertain me.
bugger the rest of the people. it is only me i wish to amuse.

Just smile then. Or smile and go "heh" too.

If I think it's funny, I laugh, otherwise I don't laugh. I like some "bad" jokes and make a lot of bad jokes myself (and sometimes laugh at them lol) but if I don't think it's funny I don't feel the need to provide fake laughter. Especially if I don't like the person and they're pointedly trying to be funny... it's like I automatically go into blink and stare mode.

If I find the joke offensive or racist or something, I usually have a disgusted look before it's even done which sometimes derails people before they finish.