Genius Jokes, by Frank Flannery

Some of the best humor is inside humor.  Genius Jokes is full of inside jokes, jokes that you won't get if you don't have some specific knowledge or understanding that other people don't have.  Frank Flannery has gathered jokes from math, science, history, literature, religion and other fields.  Many of them make no sense unless you possess a bit of knowledge in the particular field.

Flannery doesn't leave us hanging, though.  Each joke is followed by "What's So Funny?" which explains why, exactly, this is a joke.  For example: "How did Jackson Pollock do in art school?  He passed with flying colors."  Flannery explains that Pollock is known for his abstract paintings, where "he would literally let the paint fly all over the canvas, dripping it, pouring it, and flinging it every which way."  Now, if you know Pollock's paintings, you get the joke.  If you don't, well, the explanation is easy to understand, but the humor is lost by a labored explanation.

Another quick example: "What do you call it when an elephant goes to a rock concert?  Horton hears The Who."  Of course this is a reference to Dr. Seuss's Horton the elephant and the classic rock band The Who.  Not exactly a genius joke, but you have to know these cultural references to get the chuckle.

Many of these are more obscure, especially the science ones.  But Flannery's explanations are helpful and informative.  This is a fun book.  Some of these jokes are worth remembering and repeating; others will be well outside your wheelhouse.  It's an enjoyable collection.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!