I guess that children around Ben's age begin discovering the wonderful world of humor, and one of the most basic family of jokes in that wonderful world is the family of "knock, knock" jokes. Now, we tend to trivialize these jokes; they're basic, they're redundant, and they're usually only one step away from that most despised form of humor: puns. However, once you've heard the invented knock, knock jokes of a four year old, you begin to appreciate the subtle humor that is necessary to make a knock, knock joke even remotely funny. Children at Ben's age don't really seem to understand word play, double entendre, homonyms and the like that are necessary to work a knock, knock joke. I think that they believe that the humor lies in the image that is created in the punchline of the joke; the rest of the joke is just a formality to introduce that image.
Ben spent some time today with his cousin, Lindsey; I believe that she is the one who first introduced the concept of a knock, knock joke to Ben. Today, while we were in the car on the way to McDonald's she shared a few gems with me.
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Hat."
"Hat who?"
"Hat that you wear on your toes, and your shoulders!"
Of course, you don't want to stifle a child's creativity, so you reward the joke with a fake laugh and smile. There's no real logic in this joke, no connection between the build-up and punchline, except - of course - for the word "hat." What makes this joke funny to a four year old, I think, is the image of someone wearing a hat on their toes, or on their shoulders; that's funny, and that is what makes the joke funny. Here's another example:
"Knock, knock"
"Who's there?"
"Tomato."
"Tomato who?"
"Tomato on your head covered in chocolate!"
Again, no logic, just a funny image. This, I think, is the secret to making up a knock, knock joke that a child can appreciate it. Amy made an attempt to introduce the children to a real knock, knock joke by delivering this old chestnut to Lindsey:
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Boo."
"Boo who?"
"Oh, it's okay, you don't have to cry."
Lindsey's response, delivered with a straight face: "that's not funny." Of course, the irony of children calling a "real" knock, knock joke "unfunny" when they've been delivering several unfunny facsimile's thereof is a laugh unto itself. At least Lindsey found the following amusing:
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Who."
"Who who?"
"I didn't know you are an owl!"
This was probably amusing, though, because of the imagery of Lindsey in the form of an owl. So, I have concluded that if you want to make a four year old laugh at your knock, knock jokes, use silly imagery; you'll slay 'em every time - well, maybe - there's no telling with a four year old.
10:31:34 PM 
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