I work for a pretty conservative manager right now. He is known to call "short meetings" which last forever. And I have noticed that he is always good for a bad joke. When I say bad, I mean the joke is just no good (not funny). The funny thing is that the guy is trying at least. We all laugh because the jokes he produces are weak. That in and of itself is amusing.
A couple weeks ago I found myself in the office working by my manager. Some girls walk by and asked him if he was good. He replied, "No. I'm bad". And do you know what? That line actually worked. Finally my boss nailed the punch line. Everybody including myself was cracking up. The irony of the statement was that my boss is not a bad dude. He seems like a goody two shoes. That's what made it so hilarious. I have confessed to him that his game is weak in the joke department, but that the "bad" comment was priceless.
You got to give the manager proper credit for trying to lighten the mood with weak jokes. I do.
