It’s Red and Bad

Why makes this Joke funny?

The joke “What`s red and bad for your teeth? A brick.” is funny due to a combination of unexpectedness and the play on the conventional structure of a joke. Typically, a joke`s setup leads the listener to anticipate a certain type of punchline, often based on common knowledge or a play on words. In this case, the setup (“What`s red and bad for your teeth?”) primes the listener to think about food or drinks that are both red in color and harmful to dental health, such as red wine, sugary red candy, or soda.

However, the punchline (“A brick”) is humorous because it is both literal and absurd. A brick, while indeed red and undoubtedly harmful to teeth, is an unexpected answer as it is not something one would normally consider eating or drinking. The humor arises from this absurdity and the surprise element, as the punchline diverges sharply from the expected answer. It`s a type of joke known as a non-sequitur, where the conclusion (in this case, the punchline) does not logically follow from the premises (the setup).