{"id":1824213,"date":"2026-03-13T10:53:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T07:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1824213"},"modified":"2026-03-13T10:53:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T07:53:00","slug":"why-are-so-many-straight-men-so-unfunny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1824213","title":{"rendered":"Why are so many straight men so unfunny?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/97-0-1200-800\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441286.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/life-culture\/article\/69878\/1\/why-are-straight-men-so-unfunny-tiktok-reels-relationships-dating-women\" data-article-id=\"69878\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img no-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"2.4\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"MV5BMzEwMWI1YmMtZWUwNi00MmQyLWFmNjctZmRkMGNhY2Y0YW\" class=\"img\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441286.jpg\" width=\"1920\"><\/span><\/span><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-13T10:53:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"13 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"13\">13,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - life-culture\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/opinion\">Opinion<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/opinion\">Opinion<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Why are so many straight men <span class=\"nowrap\">so unfunny?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>Many young women are baffled by the inane TikToks their male partners find funny. Here, we unpack the politics of the <span class=\"nowrap\">\u2018humour gap\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-13T10:53:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"13 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"13\">13,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-13T10:53:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"13 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"13\">13,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/AngelMartinez\">Angel Martinez<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Back in the olden days, winding down for the night with a partner traditionally involved a nice bit of cuddling and pillow talk. Today, however, the reality is far less romantic: straight men will often just roll over, grab their phones, and proceed to subject their partners to a series of questionable Reels. From stoners slurring out long dumb takes, to borderline toxic memes, the possibilities are equal parts stupid and endless.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It goes without saying that humour is subjective, and what we find funny can depend on our mood. But, generally speaking, there does seem to be a growing disparity in what makes men and women laugh. TikTok is now full of videos from girls upset about the junk their partners send them: \u201cWhy do men send you the most unfunny Reels known to man? Like there\u2019s no way you looked at that, laughed, and then sent it to me thinking I would do the same\u201d, rails a creator in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@cheddarcheeseee\/video\/7485045064390020374?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id=7513943437604816407\">one TikTok<\/a> with over 32,000 likes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Charlie*, a 25-year-old linguistics graduate, is all too familiar with the ritual of post-coital Reels-viewing. \u201cWhen these men show me what\u2019s on their For You Pages, I really have to force out a pity laugh,\u201d she tells me. <\/span><span>This isn\u2019t just something that happens after casual hook-ups: countless young women in committed relationships with men report regularly being sent stupid TikTok memes or dragged into watching sitcoms they don\u2019t enjoy. So, what explains the gap in our humour?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7485045064390020374\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Sumeyra Tosun, associate professor at Medgar Evans College\u2019s department of psychology, argues that boys are often encouraged to compete and signal status. This is why, on average, they \u201creport higher use of aggressive or performance-driven humour, which often overlaps with visually immediate, punchline-driven, or spectacle-based humour,\u201d Tosun says, citing a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0092656602005342\"><span>2003 study<\/span><\/a><span> from the Journal of Research in Personality. Think: a ten-minute YouTube \u201cepic fails\u201d compilation <\/span><span>featuring people slipping on ice or falling down the stairs. Conversely, girls are taught to be more relationship-oriented while growing up, \u201c[prioritising] social bonds and emotional attunement.\u201d As a result, we tend to prefer material like inside jokes and pop culture references \u2013 anything that \u201cemphasises connection and shared understanding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Sometimes, engaging with whatever is on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/beccacore.substack.com\/p\/the-girl-internet-and-the-boy-internet\"><span>\u2018boy internet\u2019<\/span><\/a><span> can be a slippery slope. Many of the supposedly funny videos catering to and circulated by young men have a sinister edge. \u201cOnline radicalisation and digital communities show that meme culture, irony, and transgressive humour are now used in male-dominated spaces to signal in-group belonging, sometimes normalising exclusionary themes under the cover of \u2018just joking\u2019,\u201d Tosun confirms. It tracks: many of us have encountered men who claim to have \u2018dark\u2019 or \u2018edgy\u2019 humour, when, nine times out of ten, they\u2019re really just punching down on marginalised groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Tosun notes that women are more likely to interpret the men who enjoy this kind of humour as \u201cdangerous, insensitive, or politically extreme\u201d, rather than devilish provocateurs or lovable rogues. Product marketer Jessica*, 26, ignored an ex-situationship\u2019s problematic banter while they were still speaking every day. \u201cBut when we stopped talking, he decided to break no contact by sending a racist reel. The sad part is, before that, I had enjoyed and even missed talking to him,\u201d she says. \u201cHe assumed I was the kind of girl who would find that funny. I was like, &#8216;who do you think I am?&#8217;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7613796568407280917\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Many factors are to blame, of course, but memes have long been the far right\u2019s go-to recruitment tool. Online algorithms accelerate the process: routinely circulating <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.port.ac.uk\/news-events-and-blogs\/blogs\/academic-expertise\/how-the-manosphere-spreads-through-online-gaming-influencers-and-algorithms\"><span>incendiary content<\/span><\/a><span> and trapping its viewers in echo chambers. With this in mind, it\u2019s no wonder that Gen Z daters are navigating an era of \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2025\/07\/17\/gen-z-men-women-dating-politics\/85249777007\/\"><span>steep political polarisation<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d, with the partisan divide between 18 to 29-year-old men and women being wider than that of any other age range.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So, if we sense a stark humour gap with a partner, it might actually be that deep. Steven Sultanoff, adjunct professor at Pepperdine University\u2019s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, agrees that some men will \u201clikely be hostile, insulting, and disparaging towards women they think less of. It\u2019s an indication of [their] internal beliefs and attitudes which are expressed unconsciously.\u201d Microdoses of toxic humour, he adds, can \u201ccreate rifts and ultimately destroy relationships.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Maybe it won\u2019t kill you to feign interest in a five-minute YouTube compilation of toilet humour for the man of your dreams \u2013 not everyone you meet is going to spend their time chuckling wryly at Shakespeare comedies. When it comes to humour, as with much else, there are worse crimes than being a little basic. But if his algorithm has clearly been trained to consistently spew out skits from misogynistic or racist creators \u2013 and he finds this stuff funny \u2013 then follow your better judgment. Humour, after all, isn\u2019t neutral: what we find comical, and what or who we deem acceptable to laugh at, can reveal a lot about who we are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>*Name has been changed<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<div class=\"article-series\">\n<h4 class=\"heading\">More on these topics<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-series\"><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/opinion\">Opinion<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/comedy\">comedy <\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/tiktok\">TikTok<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/relationships\">Relationships<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/dating\">Dating<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/sex\">Sex<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/love\">love<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<div class=\"grid\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp-text-container\">\n<h3 class=\"lava-lamp-subheading\">Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid section-header\">\n<div class=\"section-header__link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69878\/1\/life-culture\"><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-header__title\">READ MORE<\/h2>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid tag-article-list\">\n<div class=\"swiper swiper-latest\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69883\/1\/lost-property-east-london-lecture-series-thinkers-artists-lovers-friends\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Screenshot 2026-01-26 at 18.20.11\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-88-2031-1351\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441331.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Lost Property: A lecture series for \u2018thinkers, artists, lovers and friends\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69863\/1\/ai-pressure-to-become-an-irreplaceable-worker-myth-chatgpt-claude\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"No Other Choice (2025)\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-352-1452-966\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441138.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">AI isn\u2019t replacing workers \u2013 it\u2019s making them compete<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69865\/1\/zimmerman-aw26\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\">Zimmermann<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"ZIM F26 FOH_STILLS_2x3_03\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-222-1279-851\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441170.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">ZIMMERMANN celebrates trailblazing women for AW26\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69886\/1\/how-to-help-people-in-lebanon-iran-israel-guide-donate\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"lebanon\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-2000-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441335.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Here\u2019s how you can help displaced people in Lebanon<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69881\/1\/in-defence-of-dead-or-dying-art-forms-timothee-chalamet-ballet-opera\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Black Swan\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/239-0-642-427\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441320.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Ballet and opera are dead, and that\u2019s OK<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69874\/1\/divest-instagram-politics-iran-cuba-venezuela-war-social-media\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"instagram tiktok iran\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/103-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441244.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">It\u2019s time to divest from Instagram politics <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69859\/1\/how-ai-is-changing-the-face-of-grief-death-artificial-intelligence-chatbot\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"1270\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/45-0-1082-720\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441167.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">How AI is changing the face of grief<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69857\/1\/bread-alone-what-happens-when-we-run-out-of-working-class-writers-kate-pasola\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"20567613\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1202-800\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441061.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What happens when we run out of working-class writers?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69834\/1\/fictional-boyfriend-box-dark-fantasy-subscription\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fifty Shades of Grey\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-759-505\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440501.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What would you pay to bring your fictional boyfriend to life?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69837\/1\/are-we-heading-world-war-3-iran-us-lebanon-gaza-middle-east\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"free iran protest war\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/321-205-2679-1782\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440606.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Are we really heading for World War 3? Here\u2019s everything you need to know<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69819\/1\/love-junkie-robert-plunket-author-novel-penguin-modern-classics-interview\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Studio 54 \" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/32-0-846-563\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440579.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Love Junkie: The must-read cult novel about the 80s New York gay scene <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69723\/1\/how-to-date-a-people-pleaser-beth-mccoll-love-relationships-boundaries\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"HowToDateWhen 16x9\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/125-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438515.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">How to date when&#8230; you\u2019re a people pleaser<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Back in the olden days, winding down for the night with a partner traditionally involved a nice bit of cuddling and pillow talk. Today, however, the reality is far less romantic: straight men will often just roll over, grab their phones, and proceed to subject their partners to a series of questionable Reels. From stoners slurring out long dumb takes, to borderline toxic memes, the possibilities are equal parts stupid and endless.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It goes without saying that humour is subjective, and what we find funny can depend on our mood. But, generally speaking, there does seem to be a growing disparity in what makes men and women laugh. TikTok is now full of videos from girls upset about the junk their partners send them: \u201cWhy do men send you the most unfunny Reels known to man? Like there\u2019s no way you looked at that, laughed, and then sent it to me thinking I would do the same\u201d, rails a creator in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@cheddarcheeseee\/video\/7485045064390020374?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id=7513943437604816407\">one TikTok<\/a> with over 32,000 likes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Charlie*, a 25-year-old linguistics graduate, is all too familiar with the ritual of post-coital Reels-viewing. \u201cWhen these men show me what\u2019s on their For You Pages, I really have to force out a pity laugh,\u201d she tells me. <\/span><span>This isn\u2019t just something that happens after casual hook-ups: countless young women in committed relationships with men report regularly being sent stupid TikTok memes or dragged into watching sitcoms they don\u2019t enjoy. So, what explains the gap in our humour?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7485045064390020374\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Sumeyra Tosun, associate professor at Medgar Evans College\u2019s department of psychology, argues that boys are often encouraged to compete and signal status. This is why, on average, they \u201creport higher use of aggressive or performance-driven humour, which often overlaps with visually immediate, punchline-driven, or spectacle-based humour,\u201d Tosun says, citing a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0092656602005342\"><span>2003 study<\/span><\/a><span> from the Journal of Research in Personality. Think: a ten-minute YouTube \u201cepic fails\u201d compilation <\/span><span>featuring people slipping on ice or falling down the stairs. Conversely, girls are taught to be more relationship-oriented while growing up, \u201c[prioritising] social bonds and emotional attunement.\u201d As a result, we tend to prefer material like inside jokes and pop culture references \u2013 anything that \u201cemphasises connection and shared understanding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Sometimes, engaging with whatever is on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/beccacore.substack.com\/p\/the-girl-internet-and-the-boy-internet\"><span>\u2018boy internet\u2019<\/span><\/a><span> can be a slippery slope. Many of the supposedly funny videos catering to and circulated by young men have a sinister edge. \u201cOnline radicalisation and digital communities show that meme culture, irony, and transgressive humour are now used in male-dominated spaces to signal in-group belonging, sometimes normalising exclusionary themes under the cover of \u2018just joking\u2019,\u201d Tosun confirms. It tracks: many of us have encountered men who claim to have \u2018dark\u2019 or \u2018edgy\u2019 humour, when, nine times out of ten, they\u2019re really just punching down on marginalised groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Tosun notes that women are more likely to interpret the men who enjoy this kind of humour as \u201cdangerous, insensitive, or politically extreme\u201d, rather than devilish provocateurs or lovable rogues. Product marketer Jessica*, 26, ignored an ex-situationship\u2019s problematic banter while they were still speaking every day. \u201cBut when we stopped talking, he decided to break no contact by sending a racist reel. The sad part is, before that, I had enjoyed and even missed talking to him,\u201d she says. \u201cHe assumed I was the kind of girl who would find that funny. I was like, &#8216;who do you think I am?&#8217;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-tiktok\" data-id=\"7613796568407280917\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Many factors are to blame, of course, but memes have long been the far right\u2019s go-to recruitment tool. Online algorithms accelerate the process: routinely circulating <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.port.ac.uk\/news-events-and-blogs\/blogs\/academic-expertise\/how-the-manosphere-spreads-through-online-gaming-influencers-and-algorithms\"><span>incendiary content<\/span><\/a><span> and trapping its viewers in echo chambers. With this in mind, it\u2019s no wonder that Gen Z daters are navigating an era of \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/health-wellness\/2025\/07\/17\/gen-z-men-women-dating-politics\/85249777007\/\"><span>steep political polarisation<\/span><\/a><span>\u201d, with the partisan divide between 18 to 29-year-old men and women being wider than that of any other age range.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So, if we sense a stark humour gap with a partner, it might actually be that deep. Steven Sultanoff, adjunct professor at Pepperdine University\u2019s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, agrees that some men will \u201clikely be hostile, insulting, and disparaging towards women they think less of. It\u2019s an indication of [their] internal beliefs and attitudes which are expressed unconsciously.\u201d Microdoses of toxic humour, he adds, can \u201ccreate rifts and ultimately destroy relationships.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Maybe it won\u2019t kill you to feign interest in a five-minute YouTube compilation of toilet humour for the man of your dreams \u2013 not everyone you meet is going to spend their time chuckling wryly at Shakespeare comedies. When it comes to humour, as with much else, there are worse crimes than being a little basic. But if his algorithm has clearly been trained to consistently spew out skits from misogynistic or racist creators \u2013 and he finds this stuff funny \u2013 then follow your better judgment. Humour, after all, isn\u2019t neutral: what we find comical, and what or who we deem acceptable to laugh at, can reveal a lot about who we are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>*Name has been changed<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69878\/1\/why-are-straight-men-so-unfunny-tiktok-reels-relationships-dating-women&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/97-0-1200-800\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441286.jpg&#8221;] March\u00a0 13,\u00a0 2026 Life &amp; Culture \/ Opinion Life &amp; Culture \/ Opinion Why are so many straight men so unfunny? Many young women are baffled by the inane TikToks their male partners find funny. Here, we unpack the politics of the \u2018humour gap\u2019 March\u00a0 13,\u00a0 2026 March\u00a0 13,\u00a0 2026 TextAngel Martinez [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1824213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1824213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1824213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1824213\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1824213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1824213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1824213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}