Text: “Did you hear about the Italian chef who died? He pasta way”

Context: My informant is a friend of mine who first heard this joke when it was told to him and his friend “a few years back”. My friend says that while he didn’t immediately find it very funny, his friend thought it was so funny he began crying laughing. Since then, my friend says this cheesy pun has become an inside joke that always gets them laughing despite how unfunny they may find the original line.

Analysis: I find it interesting how a joke my friend found to be unfunny can become one that continuously gets him laughing simply because of the reaction of someone around him. I think this shows a somewhat unintentional yet crucial aspect of the jokes we tell. While on the surface level they are intended to get a laugh, the ultimate goal is to bring people together, which this joke definitely succeeded in.