My father is, in every way, a dad-jokes kind of father. I, being the wonderful child I am, roll my eyes every time. But while I make fun of my own father for making them, it has come to my attention that I do in fact love overly corny dad jokes. So much so that I have started making them myself in actual social situations.
Just the other day, my mother said she wanted to hear something positive. So what did teenage Olivia do? She went straight to the cabinet and pulled out a D battery, just so she could point to the plus sign and say, “You want something positive?” Yes, that is a true story that I am embarrassed to tell. And what is more embarrassing is that I was secretly proud of myself for it.
Dad jokes come in all different varieties, from disgustingly cheesy puns to the classic, ‘“I’m hungry.” “Hi, Hungry! I’m Dad!”’ They make you shake your head and sigh in private. They make you quietly apologize to friends in public. And yet they make you smile, deep down, somewhere in your way-too-cool-for-this self.
It’s okay to love dad jokes. Always deny it if asked, but it’s okay if you do. We all have a soft spot for a pathetically corny dad joke, whether we realize it or not. So continue to tease your father for having a terrible sense of humor, because if your dad is anything like mine, he knows your teasing secretly means, “That was a good one…” And with Father’s Day coming up, maybe let him have a few. Even add some of your own to make him smile, despite your internal battle between cringing and laughing.
In all seriousness, go dads and their dumb jokes. And have a wonderful Father’s Day!
