Are Uranus puns still funny?

[Bill McBlueState]

Poll question: Are Uranus puns still funny?

I've been interested in astronomy for 20 years and studying it rigorously for 8 years. "Uranus" puns -- you know exactly what I mean -- got old for me in about 1995. When I was 15. Even "Your mommma's so..." jokes outlasted Uranus jokes.

Do most of the rest of you still think it's among the funniest jokes ever, as evidenced from the responses to the news article about the planet's rings? Or am I condemned to go about the rest of my career at the risk of being interrupted by buffoons every time I try to say something about the seventh planet from the Sun?

[LA lady]

1. NO

They never were

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

2. I'm still trying to get over your assertion...

...that your momma outlasted Uranus.

[MADem]

3. Totally funny!! Even the Star Wars/Klingon one!

And when someone comes up with a new "swipe" at the genre, it's funnier still.

Hell, poop jokes are the first jokes children learn. And the Uranus gems are the rare 'slightly naughty' jokes you can even tell around the savvy yet dignified elderly. Don't deny people a childish pleasure!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

4. As long as I teach school

they will continue to be funny. Kids love them. Especially the ring of debris around uranus.

They really should change the planet's name just to give teachers a break.

[jedicord]

10. My son had bad gas one day at school.

His teacher e-mailed me, all upset because she had to stop the class, spray air freshener, and, well, you know, "kids this age still think it's funny" and it was disrupting her lessons. This was 4th grade.

It was very difficult not to tell her that kids my age still think it's funny. I did remind her that it was burrito day in the school cafeteria, and that she had told the class they couldn't take bathroom breaks and he didn't have many options.

P.S. I did tell my son to try to control his urges later that night.

:spank:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

14. Get him some Beano!

I keep it in my classroom.

[vptpt]

17. My astronomy textbook in college

had a chapter called "The Dark Rings of Uranus". We all thought that was funny, and I intend to execute the right to giggle about that everytime I think of it until my dying day.

[Richard D]

5. No . . .

. . . but they won't get wiped away.

[wiley]

6. Astrological joke

Pluto is in Uranus today so beware of relationships with those close to you, especially your family dog.

(Michael Fremer, 1976?)

[jeff30997]

7. It should be renamed...

Urectum.

[vptpt]

18. Or perhaps it should be renamed

George Bush. You know, to keep the anus analogy.

[BOSSHOG]

8. You promised me the Moon, but I got Uranus!!

Come on everybody, sing along.

[DBoon]

9. Missing option:

"Only the first time you hear them"

[Kutjara]

11. In the UK...

...about a decade ago, newscasters changed the pronunciation of Uranus, seemingly overnight. They strongly emphasised the first syllable, made the 'a' sound short and let the ending trail off sharply. Yeah, right. Like we didn't know why they did that.

A comedy show spoofed the change with a pretend newscast that announced "from now on the planet Uranus will be renamed...Bumhole" (with the last syllable sounding like the Spanish Ole.)

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. My mother had never realised the comedic potential of the old

pronunciation, but, as soon as they changed it, she said "Why have they changed it to 'urinous'? It sounds rude!"

[thereismore]

12. I hated the Uranus joke when I heard it on E.T. Just not funny. nt

[One_of_8]

13. According to my son, yes

they're still funny. He's eight, so that may have some bearing on it. Plus, if I say "testicles," he thinks that's pretty funny too.

[still_one]

15. yours maybe, but not mine

[Warpy]

16. "Uranus is Rising" got airplay on Boston radio

in the 80s. That was funny. The rest of it isn't, not really, not for years and years.

[drm604]

19. Just mispronounce it

like all the other prigs have been doing recently. :) (just teasing)

[unpossibles]

36. lol - you mean like "urine-us"? n/t

[trotsky]

20. I'm sorry, but if I ever stop laughing at poop jokes...

I'll know something is wrong. Actually maybe that's what I should tell my kids. If they question my state of mind, tell me a poop, fart, or Uranus joke and if I don't giggle, it's time for me to go to assisted living.

[jrw14125]

21. does a wild bear sh&% in the woods?

[eppur_se_muova]

22. Are my WHAT ? nt

[YankeyMCC]

23. Of course!

[Phoonzang]

25. I'd normally laugh at low brow humor like that but...

...it makes having a serious discussion of Uranus...*sigh* I just chuckled....impossible. I say we change the name of the planet. :eyes:

[Book Lover]

26. Well, I feel immature in a bad way whenever I grin at it

But I can't help grinning!

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

27. Headline: "Scientists Plan Uranus Probe"

Now, ya gotta admit THAT's funny! (BTW, in Journalism School we were taught NEVER to use the word "probe" in a headline.)

[Bill McBlueState]

28. interesting

Is there a list somewhere of words that shouldn't be used in headlines? That could make for good comedy.

[Posteritatis]

29. Nope.

"Yo momma" jokes, however, remain purest gold. ;)

*ducks and runs*

[Odin2005]

30. IIRC, the proper latin pronounciation is uh-rahn-uhs

Derived from the Greek Ouranos (Oo-rahn-ohs). "Your-anus" and "urine-us" are aglicized pronounciations. :dunce:

[mickeymystro]

31. Funny at First

These are the types of jokes that are funny the first few times you hear them, but later you go, "Not AGAIN!". Teens love them because, of course, they have not heard these types of jokes all their lives.

[Boomer]

32. Did I find them funny as a teenager?

I can't remember that far back....

[silvershadow]

33. I think in the right circumstance the Uranus part can still be

successfully humorous, but the "Kling-on" part of the joke is so old.

[Dogmudgeon]

34. Another contender: 6000-year-old Earth gags

You know -- a scientific discovery is made that predates the date Fundamentalists supposedly think the Earth was created, and the post is "Well, it must be the work of the Devil, because everybody knows God made the world 6000 years ago!", or "God must be testing the Scientists, because everybody knows God made the world 6000 years ago!"

God or no God, it's become an old groaner. Possibly still fresh enough for General Discussion, but pretty beat for Science and Religion forums.

--p!

[skids]

35. Puns aren't supposed to be funny...

...a good pun elicits groans, not laughter. If it gets laughter it's a clever "double-entendre" not a "pun." At least in my book.

A bad pun also elicits groans, but must first be explained.

The real question is, do uranus puns still make you groan. I guess that varies from person to person, depending how fast they sit down on them and how hard their chair is.