Comedy Gold

Comedy Gold 

The Vicar of Dibley’s joke about two nuns and a vampire was recently named the comedy’s funniest in a specially commissioned study which also revealed what makes us laugh and what leaves us scratching our heads in bafflement.


Reverend Geraldine Granger, played by Dawn French, closed almost every episode of the Vicar of Dibley by sharing an often rude joke with Alice the village church verger, who would regularly fail to understand the punchline. The ability to get gags can vary greatly between people, depending on culture, context and brain activity. Weirdly the majority of people confused by a joke will pretend to find it funny to fit in.

The study, conducted by Neuroscientist and comedy expert Dr Helen Pilcher, reveals why jokes can leave half of us laughing – but the rest puzzled by the punchline. It was inspired by the new retrospective of The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out and the end scenes of each episode which sees Geraldine’s attempt to tell Alice a joke fall flat, as she fails to understand it and needs an explanation. 

Apparently top of the list of funniest jokes was the following: 

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“How do you drown a Hipster? In the mainstream” 

If that didn’t hit the spot, then try the following: 

“Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana” and “a jar of Omega 3 vitamins fell on my head when I opened the cupboard. I sustained super fish oil injuries” 

Dr Pilcher had her work cut out for her when she tested a series of jokes on 2,000 adults – some howling with laughter and others not so much. Some jokes are not universally understood according to Dr Pilcher because variables determine how much of the humour individuals get, with factors including their age, upbringing, personal and cultural background and life experiences.

Dr Pilcher’s report explores why jokes such as ‘How do you drown a Hipster? In the mainstream’ were so divisive, concluding that the joke involves both cultural context and the understanding of wordplay. In order to understand the joke, the listener needs three things. 

First, the listener needs some background knowledge; an understanding of the terms ‘hipster’ and ‘mainstream.’ Second, the listener needs an understanding that hipsters are perceived to be anti-mainstream. Finally, the listener needs to spot the double meaning within the word ‘mainstream;’ it’s both a body of water and a set of values.

Dr Pilcher said: “Laughter is universal but humour is immensely subjective and although people all over the world enjoy a good joke what they find funny varies according to a number of things, such as culture, context and language.”

“Brain activity is also implicated. The brain contains billions of neurons, and can process large amounts of information in very short time periods. For some people, all the elements of a joke come together in an instant and they ‘get’ the joke, but if any of the elements are missing, then the joke falls flat, much like in The Vicar of Dibley when Alice fails to understand any of Geraldine’s jokes.”

The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out is on TV channel Gold on Saturdays at 9pm.

Dr Helen Pilcher is a scientist, comedian and writer, she has a PhD in Neuroscience and has studied Alzheimer’s disease. WW


The top 10 jokes from the end scenes of Vicar of Dibley

Top 10 funniest jokes from The Vicar of Dibley:

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  1. Two nuns are driving through Transylvania when a great big vampire jumps on the bonnet. One nun says to the other ‘show him your cross’. So, the nun opens the window and yells: ‘get off my bonnet you toothy git!' (62%)

  2. There’s a Vicar playing golf with his friend John. John misses a three-foot putt, and he says: “Dammit, I missed the bugger”. The Vicar tuts and says “John, if you say that once more then God will open up the heavens and send a thunderbolt to strike you dead”. But then John misses a two-foot putt, and he says: “Dammit, I missed the bugger.” So, the heavens open a great big thunderbolt comes down and strikes the Vicar dead and God says “Dammit, I missed the bugger” (52%)

  3. What happens if you cross a turkey with and octopus? Everyone gets a leg at Christmas (47%)

  4. Why did the lobster blush? Because the sea weed (47%)

  5. Santa Claus goes to the doctor and says ‘doctor, I think I’ve got a mince pie stuck up my bottom’. The doctor looks and says ‘oh dear, you do indeed have a mince pie stuck up your bottom. But you’re in luck – I’ve got some cream for that’ (46%)

  6. They’ve come up with a new low-fat communion wafer. It’s called ‘I can’t believe it’s not Jesus’ (46%)

  7. What do you get if you eat too many Christmas decorations? Tinsellitis (40%)

  8. What do you call a budgie that’s been run over by lawnmower? Shredded Tweet (39%)

  9. Knock knock - Who’s there? - OJ - OJ who? - OK! You can be on the jury (37%)

  10. What do accountants do when they’re constipated? They work it out with a pencil (33%)

Top 10 jokes that amuse and confuse in equal measure

  1. How do you drown a Hipster? In the mainstream (46%)

  2. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana (45%)

  3. A jar of Omega 3 vitamins fell on my head when I opened the cupboard. I sustained super fish oil injuries (40%)

  4. How do you milk sheep? With iPhone accessories (38%)

  5. How many surrealists does it take to screw in a light bulb? A fish (36%)

  6. What do accountants do when they’re constipated? They work it out with a pencil (35%)

  7. A cowboy asked me if I could help him round up 18 cows. I said, ‘Yes, of course. That’s 20 cows’ (30%)

  8. A horse walks into a bar and the barman says “Hey, why the long face?” (29%)

  9. What does a dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac do at night? He stays up wondering if there really is a dog (28%)

  10. I’m very pleased with my new fridge magnet. So far, I’ve got 12 fridges (18%)




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