This joke is a pun that combines the word “yams,” which sweet potatoes are often confused with or colloquially referred to, and “jammies,” a colloquial term for pajamas. The humor comes from the playful use of language, taking the familiar concept of wearing pajamas to bed and applying it whimsically to sweet potatoes, which obviously do not wear clothing. By creating the portmanteau “yammies,” the joke playfully suggests that if sweet potatoes did wear bedtime attire, it would be something akin to pajamas but with a name that reflects their identity as yams (sweet potatoes), hence “yammies.”

This joke relies on sarcasm and plays on the dual meanings of the physical design of Crocs (the footwear) and a figurative commentary on fashion sense. Crocs are known for their distinctive holes on top, which are there for ventilation and decoration. The joke subverts the practical purpose of these holes by suggesting that they allow for the escape of one’s dignity, implying that wearing Crocs is a fashion faux pas that undermines one’s self-respect. It’s a humorous critique of the shoes, suggesting that to wear them is to willingly participate in a questionable fashion choice.

The opening joke of Matt Rife’s Netflix special, “Natural Selection,” uses shock value and subversion of expectations as its primary humor device. Set in Baltimore, which Rife describes as “ratchet,” the joke begins with a seemingly ordinary observation: a hostess at a restaurant with a black eye. The expectation is that the joke might revolve around the hostess’s appearance being an odd choice for a welcoming face of a company. However, Rife takes a dark turn by suggesting, through his friend’s comment and his own response, that domestic violence could be the reason behind her black eye.
The punchline, “Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye,” is a jarring and controversial comment implying that domestic violence could be avoided if the victim had better domestic skills. This is a form of dark humor, which finds comedy in topics that are generally considered serious, distressing, or taboo.
Rife’s follow-up, “Testing the water, seeing if y’all are gonna be fun or not. Just wanted to see,” acknowledges the edginess of the joke and serves as a gauge for the audience’s reaction to controversial humor. It suggests an understanding that such humor can be divisive and is being used to test the boundaries of the audience’s sensibilities.

The statement “What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor? ‘Where’s my tractor?!?'” is an example of an anti-joke. Anti-jokes subvert traditional joke structures by providing an expected, straightforward answer that lacks a typical punchline, thus creating humor through the absence of an expected witty or clever twist. In this case, the setup leads the listener to anticipate a humorous or pun-based punchline related to farmers or tractors. However, the answer is simply a literal and realistic response to the situation posed in the setup – a farmer inquiring about his missing tractor. The humor in anti-jokes like this one comes from the surprise and the subversion of the listener’s expectations for a conventional joke. The straightforwardness of the answer, “Where’s my tractor?!?”, contrasts sharply with the anticipated clever or humorous twist, making it funny in a different, more understated way.

The joke “How do farmers party? They turnip the beets” is a pun that plays on the double meanings of the words “turnip” and “beets,” which are both types of vegetables, and the phrase “turn up the beats,” which is a common expression used to mean increasing the volume of music, typically in a party setting. “Turnip” sounds like “turn up,” and “beets” sounds like “beats,” which refers to musical rhythms. The humor arises from the clever wordplay, where agricultural terms are used in a context that is usually associated with a lively, music-filled party atmosphere.