Why are fart jokes funny?

He that lives upon hope will die farting.
― Benjamin Franklin, Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read in School

Did you know that the word fart comes from the english words 'far' and 'art'? Coz if you take a fart too far, you end up with abstract art in your pants. Did you find that funny? Well, at the very least it does make sense for a lot of people, which makes it funny. It's funny coz it's true they say. But why are fart jokes funny? Is it funny coz it's true? Is it the sound? The smell? The sheer ridiculousness of it all? Or is it something deeper, something fundamental to the human experience? It's a question that has puzzled philosophers, scientists, and comedians alike for centuries. Hence, a funny, deep-thinking person with a physics degree (me) is intrigued.

To get to the bottom of fart jokes (pun intended), let's go through some history. Fart jokes have been around for a very long time. Some of the earliest recorded fart jokes can be found in ancient Greek and Roman literature. The Roman playwright Plautus, for example, wrote a play called "The Braggart Soldier" that included a scene in which a character named Tranio farts to get out of a tight spot.

But it wasn't just the ancient Greeks and Romans who loved a good fart joke. The medieval English also had a fondness for flatulence humor. In "The Canterbury Tales," for example, Chaucer writes about a character named the Miller who tells a story about a man named "Sir Thopas" who "let a fart as loud as it had been a thunder-clap." Clap hehehehe.

So as you can see, fart jokes have a long and storied history. But why are they funny?

One reason is that fart jokes tap into our sense of the absurd. The idea that something so gross and mundane can be the subject of humour is inherently funny.

Another reason is that fart jokes remind us of our humanity. They remind us that no matter how high and mighty we may think we are, we're all just a bunch of farting, pooping, burping, belching animals. And there's something reassuring about that. It reminds us that we're all in this together, that we all have to deal with the same bodily functions, and that we all have the potential to make each other laugh (or gag) with a well-timed fart joke.

But fart jokes aren't just funny for philosophical reasons. They're also funny because they're gross, and gross things can be hilarious. When we laugh at something gross, it activates the same part of the brain that's associated with physical pleasure. So the next time you laugh at a fart joke, remember that it's not just your sense of humor that's being tickled, it's your pleasure centre as well! But, I am sure there is already a Dr. Cuterus video about it smh.

Fart jokes are funny for a variety of reasons, from their history and their absurdity to their grossness and their surprise factor. At the core, farting is also a celebration of being human. All those uncles lifting a thigh to let out an earth-shaking fart are the ideal specimen for aliens to understand what human beings are. A bunch of farting, pooping, burping, belching animals.

If you have read this far, please DM me and let me know what you thought about today's newsletter. If it even makes a single person's day, my day is made, too.

Yours seducingly,

Frodo Mercury

The Lord of the G-Strings

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