Geek humor
Encyclopedia
Geek humor or geek humour, also known as nerd humor, is a form of comedy that relies on references to geek culture.
, deadpan
, or dry humor.
As a result, geek humor typically contains "inside jokes" that may not be understood by those outside of the subculture. While not necessarily always intellectual
in nature, geek humor exhibits heavy reliance on jargon
and references that would not be understood by one who is unfamiliar with the topic or genre of interest (example: references or homages to Star Wars
, use of gaming jargon such as pwn
, or terminology rarely used outside scientific circles). Geek humor also makes heavy use of memes.
, and gaming
, all of which are at least casually familiar to the mainstream through general public exposure but still possess esoteric elements familiar to those who are more deeply engrossed in the subject. For example, it is very common for Americans to at least recognize Star Wars
and Star Trek
as prominent pop-culture multimedia science fiction franchises even if they do lack trivial knowledge or don't even understand the premise of either. Thus, humor generated from within certain inside circles will appear obscure to those who have only a casual interest. Within the culture, this is often used as a tactic to establish one's identity as a hardcore enthusiast or identify others as such. Geeks may not understand humor from other circles of topical interest unless they have overlapping interests.
and those who don't."
"There's no place like 127.0.0.1
".
"Why is Scott Tissue like the Starship Enterprise
?"
"Because it goes around Uranus
searching for Klingons."
"Doctor Doctor, I feel like an alpha particle"
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive!"
"A neutrino walks into a bar. The neutrino asks 'how much is a beer?' The bartender says 'for you, no charge!'"
"What did the gigabyte say to the hard drive?"
"Come on and boot it up."
"What's tiny and yellow and very, very, dangerous?"
"A canary with the super-user password."
"There was a party where all math functions were having a good time. But, standing alone by the corner, there was e^x and he was not having the same good time. Then ∂x and ∫ came to him, and asked him to integrate himself to the party:
"C'mon dude, integrate with us."
To which e^x replied:
"It makes no sense, It would make no difference."
Definition
By the strictest definition, geek humor is a branch of humor that encompasses the interest ranges of individuals who are either known as geeks or consciously identify as such by choice. Although geek humor may borrow elements from other forms of humor, most other forms of humor are not necessarily defined by topic but by delivery, such as play on words, sarcasmSarcasm
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt.” Though irony and understatement is usually the immediate context, most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony; however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony or employs...
, deadpan
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
, or dry humor.
As a result, geek humor typically contains "inside jokes" that may not be understood by those outside of the subculture. While not necessarily always intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
in nature, geek humor exhibits heavy reliance on jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
and references that would not be understood by one who is unfamiliar with the topic or genre of interest (example: references or homages to Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, use of gaming jargon such as pwn
Pwn
Pwn is a leetspeak slang term derived from the verb own, as meaning to appropriate or to conquer to gain ownership. The term implies domination or humiliation of a rival, used primarily in the Internet-based video game culture to taunt an opponent who has just been soundly defeated .In hacker...
, or terminology rarely used outside scientific circles). Geek humor also makes heavy use of memes.
Practical uses
Geek related topics tend to appeal only to certain niche groups. In certain cases, genres or topics may have gained a mainstream recognition while still retaining elements familiar only to so-called "serious" or "hardcore" fans or enthusiasts. Examples include computers, comic books, science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, and gaming
Gamer
Historically, the term "gamer" usually referred to someone who played role-playing games and wargames. Since they became very popular, the term has included players of video games...
, all of which are at least casually familiar to the mainstream through general public exposure but still possess esoteric elements familiar to those who are more deeply engrossed in the subject. For example, it is very common for Americans to at least recognize Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
and Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
as prominent pop-culture multimedia science fiction franchises even if they do lack trivial knowledge or don't even understand the premise of either. Thus, humor generated from within certain inside circles will appear obscure to those who have only a casual interest. Within the culture, this is often used as a tactic to establish one's identity as a hardcore enthusiast or identify others as such. Geeks may not understand humor from other circles of topical interest unless they have overlapping interests.
Examples of Geek Humor
"There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binaryBinary numeral system
The binary numeral system, or base-2 number system, represents numeric values using two symbols, 0 and 1. More specifically, the usual base-2 system is a positional notation with a radix of 2...
and those who don't."
- 10 in binary is 2 in decimal
"There's no place like 127.0.0.1
Localhost
In computer networking, localhost is the standard hostname given to the address of the loopback network interface. The name is also a reserved top-level domain name In computer networking, localhost (meaning this computer) is the standard hostname given to the address of the loopback network...
".
- This joke makes references to the IP network addressing scheme (127.0.0.1 is "home" address) and The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
.
"Why is Scott Tissue like the Starship Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
?"
"Because it goes around Uranus
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus...
searching for Klingons."
- Along with the common knowledge that Scott Tissue is a brand of toilet paper, this joke requires familiarity with Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
as well as noticing that Klingons and cling-ons are homophones and Uranus (when pronouncing the planet's name in the common fashion, Uranus sounds like "your anusAnusThe anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
").
"Doctor Doctor, I feel like an alpha particle"
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive!"
"A neutrino walks into a bar. The neutrino asks 'how much is a beer?' The bartender says 'for you, no charge!'"
- These two puns require familiarity with basic atomic physics.
"What did the gigabyte say to the hard drive?"
"Come on and boot it up."
- A UnixUnixUnix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
joke.
"What's tiny and yellow and very, very, dangerous?"
"A canary with the super-user password."
- In Unix, the super-user password can be used to do anything on the computer.
"There was a party where all math functions were having a good time. But, standing alone by the corner, there was e^x and he was not having the same good time. Then ∂x and ∫ came to him, and asked him to integrate himself to the party:
"C'mon dude, integrate with us."
To which e^x replied:
"It makes no sense, It would make no difference."
- if f(x)=e^x, ∫f(x)∂x then the result is f(x)=e^x.
See also
- xkcdXkcdxkcd is a webcomic created by Randall Munroe. The comic's tagline describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language." It has been recognized in such mainstream media as The Guardian and The New York Times....
- A webcomic concerning itself with "romance, sarcasm, math, and language." - "Geek and Gamer Girls SongGeek and Gamer Girls SongCreated by the musical ensemble, Team Unicorn, "G33k & G4m3r Girls" a.k.a. the "Geek and Gamer Girls Song", is a music video filled with cultural references...
" - Music video by geekGeekThe word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
music group, Team UnicornTeam UnicornTeam Unicorn is a multi-media production team formed in Los Angeles, California in 2010. Its members are American actresses and singers Michele Boyd , Clare Grant , Milynn Sarley, and Rileah Vanderbilt . The group released their debut parody song "G33k & G4m3r Girls" a.k.a. the "Geek and Gamer...
. - Mathematical humor
- Revenge of the NerdsRevenge of the NerdsRevenge of the Nerds is a 1984 comedy film satirizing social life on a college campus. The film stars Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb...
External links
- bash.org A geek humor site
- Geek Of The Day geek humor, geek jokes, geek stories
- Best Geek Quotes
- Nerdtests Forum
- Geek jokes and analysis
- The Geek Invasion The Geeks are coming
- XKCD