Their personalities.
Joke Poo:
Original: What do incels use for birth control? Their personalities.
New Joke:
What do comedians use for crowd control at a heckler convention?
… Their old jokes.
Alright, let’s break down this joke.
Joke Deconstruction:
- Setup: “What do incels use for birth control?” – This is a standard joke setup, priming the listener for an unexpected or humorous answer.
- Punchline: “Their personalities.” – This is the punchline, relying on a negative stereotype of incels as having off-putting or undesirable personalities that make them unattractive to potential partners.
- Humor Mechanism: The humor stems from:
- Stereotyping: It reinforces a pre-existing negative stereotype.
- Irony/Wordplay: Birth control is a proactive measure, while the joke suggests the (perceived) lack of personality is a passive but effective barrier.
- Subversion of Expectation: We expect a physical or conventional method of birth control.
Key Elements:
- Incels: The core subject. This group is a self-identified online subculture of individuals who define themselves as being involuntarily celibate, meaning they are unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one.
- Birth Control: The topic used as a framing device.
- Personality: The unexpected and humorous “solution.”
Comedic Enrichment Attempt #1: A Witty Observation
“You know, it’s ironic. Incels often complain about being overlooked by women, but maybe their birth control method is too effective. They’ve achieved population control on a micro-level… just their own.”
Comedic Enrichment Attempt #2: A Related ‘Did You Know?’ with a Twist
“Did you know the first oral contraceptive pill, Enovid, was approved by the FDA in 1960? You could say it was a major personality change for the world… suddenly, a lot more freedom and experimentation. Makes you wonder, if incels took a personality pill, would it reverse their birth control?”
Comedic Enrichment Attempt #3: A New Joke
“Why did the incel bring a calculator on a date?
Because he thought he needed to subtract his personality from the equation to have a chance.”