Jokes that Don't Work in Futurama

[:]

So I was wondering, what type of jokes does everyone think don't/wouldn't work in Futurama?

I did not like the Thug Life tattoo and the music that came with it, so un-Futurama.

[#1 :]

Any of Bender's jokes about penises or whatnot. Pretty much everything in Benders Game. "Fun on a bun" urrgh, just horrible. But the goat puking/pooping thing in that one episode takes the cake. That episode was absolute trash

[#2 :]

Yeah, most of their more juvenile jokes don't work at all, just because that isn't and should never be in the character of the show. Lots of stuff in IAGDL, Neutopia, and AOTKA didn't really sit well with me for that reason.

[#3 :]

Yeah, most of their more juvenile jokes don't work at all, just because that isn't and should never be in the character of the show. Lots of stuff in IAGDL, Neutopia, and AOTKA didn't really sit well with me for that reason.

Second. Episodes I don't like usually involve juvenile humor. I don't mind "adult" (ironic name, isn't it) humor at all; I sometimes like to watch South Park or Drawn Together. But with Futurama it just doesn't fit. They can very well include dark jokes though (I think the darkest line to date was Leela's response to the taste of human rinds: It varies from person to person).

Also pottytalk doesn't fit in well at all. I don't generally mind the f-word, if it is used intelligently. But in SoC, it was used a little excessively. Also, I hated Fry's IAGDL line "This seems like a good place to take a dump". In Reincarnation a similar line didn't seem so bad, but I still wasn't happy with it.

[#4 :]

(I think the darkest line to date was Leela's response to the taste of human rinds: It varies from person to person).

Soylent Cola.

[#5 :]

I can't stand the references to present day pop culture (Christina Aguilera, CSI: Miami, Nicolas Cage, etc.)

[#6 :]

Given the right circumstances, timing and delivery (pun intended), Futurama can make any joke work.  That's what makes it so brilliant.  The writers don't always execute perfectly, but they've certainly got the chutzpah.

[#7 :]

Most of all for me has to be the whole Space Bees talking like gangsters joke in Holiday Craptacular. I don't care if this was meant to be non-canon, it was just a terrible idea going back there and having them speak, let alone like the awful way they did! So un-Futurama-y it's beyond belief!...

I can't stand the references to present day pop culture (Christina Aguilera, CSI: Miami, Nicolas Cage, etc.)

Yep this, I hate all of that. In particular the Susan Boil "joke" and the Lady Gaga one. I do however like the LOST joke so I guess there are exceptions, but that was tastefully done and worked well unlike the others...

[#8 :]

I'm also not so keen on juvenile jokes, but they can work:

a) Setting up a whole important punchline/plot in a juvenile way: Nope, that is not Futurama's humor, and should not be.
b) Having a credible character with a juvenile personality acting like that: Sure, if this character serves the story or at least a funny situation.

To give an example:
a) Leela making a non-situation specific, dirty joke as pointless throwaway gag: Nope.
b) Leela saying something and realizing at the end of the setence it accidently did have a double meaning, causing stupid giggles and an even more stupid remark from Cubert and Dwight: Sure, looks in character for everyone.

I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) your reluctance regarding juvenile jokes is rather based on these jokes to be used randomly for their own sake.
(To give another exmpale: Bender asking Leela "Why two animals of every kind?" in LLLIS, she whispers something in Benders ear, and he gives a dirty laugh. Am I right that you are fine with that kind of jokes?)

[#9 :]

I don't enjoy most present day pop culture jokes, and I'd like to see the writers cut down their use of them, or at least make them more entertaining.

However, occasionally I either won't really mind a joke or I'll enjoy it. (I've always loved Shatner performing...or speaking, I guess...Eminem in 'Where No Fan Has Gone Before')

[#10 :]

Any jokes that reference Lady Caca.

[#11 :]

"Wipe Castle".  Most jarring and annoying.

[#12 :]

   So I was wondering, what type of jokes does everyone think don't/wouldn't work in Futurama?

   I did not like the Thug Life tattoo and the music that came with it, so un-Futurama.

Was that actually a joke?

[#13 :]

No, it just felt so out of place and 'meh'.

[#14 :]

The jokes about the fans and Zoidberg in Overclockwise, it felt just stupid! 

[#15 :]

Everything regarding the robot mafia.

[#16 :]

The jokes about the fans and Zoidberg in Overclockwise, it felt just stupid! 

I enjoyed that.

[#17 :]

The jokes about the fans and Zoidberg in Overclockwise, it felt just stupid! 

I enjoyed that.

It's because you're young! 

[#18 :]

No, it just felt so out of place and 'meh'.

It's another slice of how the Professor is actually kinda badass and has lived a long and rich life. I thought it was fairly funny. Not very "Futurama", but funny.

[#19 :]

It's because you're young! 

Um, no. It's people's humour that can affect whether they like a joke or not.

[#20 :]

It's because you're young! 

Um, no. It's people's humour that can affect whether they like a joke or not.

That's what I said, you have a young people's humour. When you get older, your humour change, you know!

[#21 :]

But older people might have liked the fan joke too... The writers obviously did...

[#22 :]

My dad laughed out loud at the second fan joke.

[#23 :]

Exactly. It's people's humour that affect the outcome of a joke.

[#24 :]

Yeah, my mom thought the fans were the funniest thing pretty much ever. I was also really highly amused. Age doesn't really have much to do with at least that genre of jokes.

I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) your reluctance regarding juvenile jokes is rather based on these jokes to be used randomly for their own sake.
(To give another exmpale: Bender asking Leela "Why two animals of every kind?" in LLLIS, she whispers something in Benders ear, and he gives a dirty laugh. Am I right that you are fine with that kind of jokes?)

Yeah, exactly. That example was funny. It's just dumb stuff like Hermes' "That's my boy!" line that makes me cringe.

[#25 :]

The fan thing was ok, but not that funny, not terrible, but nothing great...

[#26 :]

Any of Bender's jokes about penises or whatnot. Pretty much everything in Benders Game. "Fun on a bun" urrgh, just horrible. But the goat puking/pooping thing in that one episode takes the cake. That episode was absolute trash

[#27 :]

Any of Bender's jokes about penises or whatnot. Pretty much everything in Benders Game. "Fun on a bun" urrgh, just horrible. But the goat puking/pooping thing in that one episode takes the cake. That episode was absolute trash

Any of Bender's jokes about penises or whatnot. Pretty much everything in Benders Game. "Fun on a bun" urrgh, just horrible. But the goat puking/pooping thing in that one episode takes the cake. That episode was absolute trash

So consistency is good, yes?

[#28 :]

Yeah, my mom thought the fans were the funniest thing pretty much ever. I was also really highly amused. Age doesn't really have much to do with at least that genre of jokes.

Indeed. Head injuries are always funny. (And it's possible that I am Tedward's father, because the only belly laugh "Overclockwise" inspired in me was for the second fan joke.)

I would say that the only so-called jokes that don't work for me on Futurama are the really puerile ones (so pretty much, like, jokes about bodily functions--though some of them are well-done (I liked the taking-a-dump joke in "Reincarnation," but not the one in "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela")), and the really tactless references to pop culture that feel too contemporary or fleeting (so, yeah, the Lady Gaga thing).

But there are exceptions to these rules, and generally speaking I agree with Louiswuenator that the writers, actors, and animators are so talented that they can theoretically make any joke work.

[#29 :]

I think the worst joke ever on Futurama was either the Roseanne cameo or, in the same episode, the barfing whale.

But then, I loved Mr. Chunks, so whatever. I think any type of joke can certainly work on the show. It's all down to execution.

They do tend to take a hit when they have literally nothing to do with the rest of the scene, though. At least when they don't arise naturally (this is more often specific pieces of dialogue than weird sci-fi jokes or whatever). Another one of the worst jokes I can think of was Bender's "9...10...a big fat hen...the name's 'Bender'!" in Less than Hero. It comes out of nowhere and makes little sense in the context.

[#30 :]

Another one of the worst jokes I can think of was Bender's "9...10...a big fat hen...the name's 'Bender'!" in Less than Hero.

I actually found that really funny. I am not sure why. Perhaps because it comes out of nowhere and is just random. The delivery is excellent.

Why such hate on Roseanne? I agree the whale was dumb though. However, that episode had a lot of really redeeming qualities.

[#31 :]

It's easily my least favorite episode, and honestly most of the jokes are kind of cringeworthy to me...however, Roseanne's cameo stuck out to me as especially unfunny. I don't really have anything in particular against her I suppose, though I don't really know her comedy (outside of a few episodes of her sitcom) that well in general. But man, that extended thing over the credits...ugh.

Of course, even that episode has a few moments. Mostly having to do with Fry's story.

"Big fat hen," though, was the first joke where I can remember really going "okay, what the fuck was that?" It's barely even a joke. I enjoy the rest of the episode, though.

[#32 :]

Another one of the worst jokes I can think of was Bender's "9...10...a big fat hen...the name's 'Bender'!" in Less than Hero. It comes out of nowhere and makes little sense in the context.

Whaaa? Are you serious? That's an awesome joke! I love that one, great line and delivery. The randomness makes it all the funnier if you ask me!...

[#33 :]

I don't really find "9... 10... a big, fat hen" funny, but I find "9... 10... a big, fat hen... the name's Bender" hilarious.

[#34 :]

"Wipe Castle".  Most jarring and annoying.

Agreed.  It felt like something a thirteen year old boy would think up.

[#35 :]

Was it supposed to sound like "White Castle" until they arrived at the castle, and then it was "Wipe", or am I just dumb and bad at listening?

[#36 :]

I certainly didn't recognize that it was called "Wipe Castle" until they got there--but I don't think it was something the writers meant to deliberately obfuscate (because why would you want to hide such a "brilliant" joke and not get as much mileage out of it as you possibly can?).

Speaking of stuff from "Bender's Game," though, I will say that the run about the staghorn knife--though amusing, to a degree--seems like a very un-Futurama-like moment to me. It's just way too drawn out, and what it's parodying (lousy infomercials) is well-trodden comic territory, and it just feels way too self-indulgent to me (and, dare I say it, Family Guy-ish).

[#37 :]

Was it supposed to sound like "White Castle" until they arrived at the castle, and then it was "Wipe", or am I just dumb and bad at listening?

I don't recall, and <hangs head in profound shame> I don't have the DVD

[#38 :]

Why such hate on Roseanne?

Yeah, especially since she could end up as the 45th President of the USA. (She's running in 2012, in the real world.)

[#39 :]

She's running, I know that. But no, she won't be president.