According to a recent study, unfunny jokes create hostility toward the teller.  This is not news per se but it goes much deeper than just individual taste.  It explains why many (including myself) react with such rage at the stupid things we hear all day.

…such canned humor often disrupts the natural flow of conversation. And jokes that fail to deliver humor are a violation of a social contract, so punishing the teller can discourage similar behavior in the future.

Finally, a stupid joke insults the listener by suggesting that he or she might actually find it funny, Bell said.

See, what I’m doing when I openly mock you in a public forum is trying to help you learn for next time.  I’m actually doing you a favor by berating you in response to your stupid list comparing Iron Man to Cal Ripken Jr.

So in the future, kind reader, if you ever hear me tell you to shut your stupid piehole, I’m doing it out of concern.  And hatred.  Vile, vile hatred.

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