Knock, knock.
It turns out there’s an actual funniest joke in the world, and it’s not you.
Psychologist Dr Richard Wiseman invited more than 1 million people to review jokes, and we have a winner.
Here it is:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says: “Calm down, I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: “OK, now what?”
Speaking about the joke, Wiseman said:
“Many of the jokes submitted received higher ratings from certain groups of people, but this one had real universal appeal.
“Also, we find jokes funny for lots of different reasons. They sometimes make us feel superior to others, reduce the emotional impact of anxiety-provoking situations or surprise us because of some kind of incongruity. The hunters joke contained all three elements.”
