The problem I have with most jokes is that I can get to the punchline faster than the teller. Maybe that’s why I liked Robin Williams – unfortunately for many people, he was four jokes down the road before they got the first.
Telegraphing the punchline is particularly true of so-called comedy TV shows. Some exceptions were the writers that did Cheers / Frasier / Big Bang Theory (each of these shows featured “the invisible woman” – a ploy also used on the Dick Van Dyke show.) They often set a subtle clue and did not “cash in” on it until later in the program.
The old “shaggy dog” joke.
The problem I have with most jokes is that I can get to the punchline faster than the teller. Maybe that’s why I liked Robin Williams – unfortunately for many people, he was four jokes down the road before they got the first.
Telegraphing the punchline is particularly true of so-called comedy TV shows. Some exceptions were the writers that did Cheers / Frasier / Big Bang Theory (each of these shows featured “the invisible woman” – a ploy also used on the Dick Van Dyke show.) They often set a subtle clue and did not “cash in” on it until later in the program.