There’s something almost transgressive about dad humor. It mostly works anywhere and anytime and has no second meaning that would give the joke an unnecessary aftertaste. The success of dad humor, which has now become a subgenre of its own, reflects the whole trend in comedy these days.

Comedian Paul Seven told the National Post that nowadays, humor is all about instant gratification and avoiding insulting anybody. It means that dad jokes have no social commentary, no agenda, and no political material, which means that they’re as neutral as can be. In the world where everything is social, political, and cultural, this is one of the safe cards you can play to have fun but without fear of insulting anyone.

That’s because they rely on puns. “It’s a genre most kids grow up with and can relate to, no matter where they are from. It requires no cultural know-how, no knowledge of social trends, or world updates,” Seven said.

Dads' humor is both stupid and cringy, yet very relatable. It gives us a much-needed sense of homey comfort where TV and media is ruled by chaos and turmoil. Any pun is like coming home to your high-school setup with your mom making banana bread downstairs and dad throwing puns at whatever he pleases. I mean, in the end, this is kinda why we love our dads no matter how ill-calculated their jokes can be.