Knock knock jokes are definitely funny.
They might be funny to you in an eye-rolling way or they might bring forth a groan or maybe, just maybe, you are one of the lucky ones who guffaws at a well-delivered knock knock.
Regardless, there are reasons knock knock jokes are funny –
1. They surprise our brains.
Knock knock jokes are puns.
They are one of the best-known forms of puns around.
Puns are different than other jokes. Puns are a play on words – making use of the fact that some words have more than one meaning (spring/Spring) and that some words sound the same as others (chicken/checking).
So when a knock knock joke is delivered, the listener can only guess where the joke is headed and when the punch line comes and that new meaning to a word is revealed, there is this little surprise that happens.
And our brain reacts to that unforeseen, clever twist of words by lighting up more than usual in multiple areas – the amygdala, hypothalamus and ventral striatum.
But that’s not all, there is this very small area in the brain that lights up in response to not just any joke, but only to a funny pun. It is called the inferior frontal gyrus.
All this busyness in the brain in reaction to that silly play on words lets us know we just heard something funny.
Knock knock
Who’s there?
Chicken
Chicken who?
Just chicken in on you.
2. It’s kind of cute to imagine someone knocking on our imaginary door, just hoping we will play his/her game.
Go ahead, visualize your imaginary door being knocked on and tell me you didn’t smile.
3. Knock knock jokes are a child-like sort of humor (I think we all agree).
As a matter of fact, it is one of the earliest joke forms children learn.
So, when you get called into a knock knock joke, you get to play like a child again.
No fooling, knock knock jokes make you feel like a child (or maybe they just make you feel childish).
Either way, who doesn’t like to be a child again, if even for a few moments?