Geek humor

Geek humor, also known as nerd humor, is a form of comedy that relies on references to geek culture.

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, sarcasm, 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 neccesarily 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).

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 enthusiansts. Examples include computers, comic books, science fiction, 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 an tactic to either establish ones identity as or identify other hardcore enthusiasts. 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 binary and those who don't."

• 10 in binary is 2 in decimal

"There's no place like 127.0.0.1".

• This joke makes references too the IP network addressing scheme (127.0.0.1 is "home" address) and The Wizard of Oz.

"Why is Scott Tissue like the Starship Enterprise?" "Because it goes around Uranus seaching for Klingons."

• Along with the common knowledge that Scott Tissue is a brand of toilet paper, this joke requires familiarity with Star Trek 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 anus").

"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.

See also

• xkcd - A webcomic concerning itself with "romance, sarcasm, math, and language."
• Mathematical humor

External links

• bash.org A geek humor site
• Best Geek Quotes
• Nerdtests Forum