Dad jokes reflect the delightful quirks of fatherhood

+ N₂O emissions from food are a big climate threat US Edition - Today's top story: An homage to the dad joke, one of the great traditions of fatherhood [View in browser]( US Edition | 15 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Like the late Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s test for obscenity – “I know it when I see it” – you know a dad joke when you hear it. It’s corny. It’s awkward. It elicits groans. Cape Breton University’s Ian Brodie and Indiana University’s Moira Marsh trace the genealogy of the term “dad joke” to a Father’s Day column from the late 1980s. Only over the past 20 years, however, has the term taken off. Perhaps this form of humor has resonated with so many people because dads across generations have rarely passed up an opportunity to embarrass their kids. Brodie and Marsh explain how dad jokes differ from most forms of comedy: They lack a uniform structure and thrive on being safe, cheesy and, at times, downright cringeworthy. [Their charm ultimately lies in the performance]( – a dad’s playful interaction with his audience, often his kids or his kids’ friends. Yet even amid eye rolls and glares, dad jokes have a unique ability to bring families together. This week, we also liked articles about [lying](, “[magic mushrooms](,” and [conversations recorded without consent](. [ [Your support makes what we do possible.]( ] Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor Sometimes lameness – not laughter – is the point. AHPhotoswpg/iStock via Getty Images [An homage to the dad joke, one of the great traditions of fatherhood]( Ian Brodie, Cape Breton University; Moira Marsh, Indiana University Cringe, corny and awkward − what’s not to love? 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