I have partnered with Laffy Taffy for this post. Though I have been compensated for this post, the jokes are free.
If you aren’t laughing, you aren’t trying.
Laughter. Some people call it defense mechanism, but I call it the best medicine. Life is hard enough already. If you don’t take the time to find something funny, you are truly missing out.
The pun is the most underrated tool in any parent’s arsenal. While, yes, it can be groan worthy, it is the verbal manifestation of the tickle. Most people are susceptible to it, and the ones who aren’t? Those are the ones that you have to watch.
I like to call myself a triple threat artist: I’m a dad, a teacher, and a writer. That means that the pun trait is strong in me. If there was a Jedi classification for it, I would be on the Jedi Master council.
I’m not claiming that my puns are good, but you have to realize that the goal isn’t always a laugh. Groans are just as powerful. You just need people to accept your verbal brilliance and acknowledge it with laughter or a groan. The worst thing that can happen is silence.
In fact, in my family, my father in law and I are known for random pun presentations. We can’t help it. We are born with it. And when you have that power, that ability, that brilliance – it cannot be stifled. It must be shared.
At family gatherings, when the pun presentation pops off, there is often an uncomfortable silence because we know we are funny, but the other members of the family – they are trying to show their strength through resistance. They try to create a wall to buffer the puns. They pretend not to see us or hear us. They avoid eye contact.
But all it takes is one response.
Usually it’s my niece. She snorts and then bursts into laughter. She can’t help it. And once she has given way, her sister joins in on the laughter. They can’t help it. The pun gene is strong in them as well.
Family gatherings are way better with laughter. It should be mandated. It should be required.
In the meantime, this great power that my father in law have shouldn’t be wasted. In fact it should be shared. Maybe you are strong with the pun as well and would like an opportunity to share your genius.
Well, your opportunity is now.
Laffy Taffy (that great candy that comes with a bonus bit of laughter in the form of a joke on its wrapper) is teaming up with Parents.com and is looking for joke submissions. No joke. They could be looking for you. Hit this link and submit your joke – you could win $2,000 in Amazon credit and potentially have your joke featured on the wrapper of Laffy Taffy.
Are you a punster? So if you have a predilection for pandering to parents or people with puns and potential for popular paronomasia, this contest might be the one for you. See the link for complete rules and details on the contest. UPDATE: Hurry! Contest ends June 21st!
In the mean time, I’m gonna brush off some of my best ideas to try and win this contest myself. One of my life goals is to be immortalized on a candy wrapper so that my humor can be shared for ages to come.
You might say this candy contest is sweet, or that it’s a wrap, or not something to laffy at, but the joke is on you – everyone wins* with laughter.
*To be clear, this is not an indication that EVERYONE wins the contest. We aren’t giving out participation trophies here for jokes. This was meant to be a metaphorical pump up inspirational thing. Again, be sure to read the rules on the contest page. I wish you the best of luck. Oh, and don’t forget to laugh.