At the Ignite event on 5 September at the Berry School of Arts, every speaker gave us something to think about. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing highlights from each presentation. You can find the presentations as they are published here.
When Brent McKean took the stage, he came armed with a deadly weapon: dad jokes. He reminded us that a dad’s most important job may not be putting food on the table or offering wise advice, but embarrassing their kids at every possible opportunity. And he delivered.
“A dad’s job is not just to love and support. A dad’s job is to embarrass the hell out of his kids.”
Brent shared classics that had the audience groaning and laughing in equal measure:
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“Why didn’t the toilet roll cross the road? It got stuck in a crack.”
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“What’s brown and sticky? A stick.”
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“What do you call a Frenchman wearing sandals? Philippe Flop.”
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“How do cows stay up to date? They read the moos-paper.”
He explained that the magic of dad jokes lies in their simplicity. They are so unfunny that they become funny. And research backs this up. Kids exposed to this kind of humour build resilience, learning to shrug off embarrassment and embrace being themselves.
“Part of what makes dad jokes funny is that they are simply not funny.”
There was also a golden family favourite Brent shared, rolled out whenever they drove past a cemetery: “It’s the dead centre of town. No bones about it. Of corpse it is. They must have had a coffin fit.”
“Even research says dad jokes build resilience. And I thought I was just being an idiot.”
Beyond the laughs, Brent reminded us that humour has real benefits. A good dose of laughter lowers stress, strengthens the heart, and even helps us live longer. So while dad jokes may make our kids roll their eyes, they are also making us all a little healthier and a little happier.
His advice to dads? Keep telling them. Keep a straight face, wait a few seconds before cracking yourself up, and if nobody laughs, repeat the joke up to three times if needed. It is your destiny.
“Telling dad jokes is your destiny.”
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