Sonic's Awful Jokes

[Multikaris]

In more recent games (ESPECIALLY ones where Pontaff had a lot of freedom to write), Sonic has a tendency to crack poor-quality jokes. I don't see this as being so bad, I see this as a potential character flaw (and strength, too) for the series. Let the other characters acknowledge that Sonic's lousy jokes are often unfitting, even a simple eye roll would do. It's not too hard to see other characters get upset at the lame jokes Sonic makes every 15 minutes. Let them occasionally tell him to keep his mouth shut, let people walk out on him for his bad one-liners, let villains go berserk when insulted. I recently saw a good movie that had a character use her awful jokes to make an escape from the enemy's prison chambers. Maybe Sonic could pull that off? 

[StaticMania]

1 hour ago, Miragnarok said:

Let the other characters acknowledge that Sonic's lousy jokes are often unfitting, even a simple eye roll would do.

You mean like the cutscene in Frozen Factory where everyone was just in silence at his cold pun?

They cood do dat.

[Tarnish]

I'd rather a character I used to like a lot would just not make me wish he would just shut up on every occasion I see him open his mouth, regardless how they play it. Occasionally it would be fine, but with their current writing, it would have to be a constant thing cuz Sonic is just horrible these days.

He used to be this cool guy who knew when and what to say to get his opponent annoyed, now he's just stuck on that 100% all the time.

[Diogenes]

It's fine for the other characters to not go nuts over Sonic's jokes (I feel he tells them mostly for himself anyway) but there's a line to toe; if it turns into the characters just shitting on him, that's not going to make anyone happy.

[Dr. Detective]

He could tell some good jokes too. 

I guess we're fresh out of those though. I forgot. Nevermind.

[Diogenes]

Just now, Dr. Detective Mike said:

He could tell some good jokes too. 

I guess we're fresh out of those though. I forgot. Nevermind.

Fresh outta good jokes since 1999.

[Dr. Detective]

3 minutes ago, Diogenes said:

Fresh outta good jokes since 1999.

Maybe even since 1994 if what little of SatAM I've seen is anything to go by.

[PC the Hedgehog]

It's a lose-lose either way. Sonic either tells a bad joke, then goes on for 5 minutes about why his joke is hilarious, or Sonic tells a bad joke and his friends go on for 5 minutes about why his joke is bad.

Less is more, Pontaff. Dang you.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

It says something when Carlos of the Magic School Bus at least got the right reaction for his bad puns/jokes more often than Sonic in Colors most recent Modern Sonic games did.

A quick "Carlos!" in exasperation, and they move on. No dragging the joke out. No constant attempts to clarify the joke to explain why it's hilarious.

[dbzfan7]

Or we could have good jokes and banter...I know the comparison is made a lot, but good banter can be funny and endear us to characters. Like Dante or Spider-Man who tend to be wise cracking banter kings. Or it could be terrible and make your protag look like a dork. I'd love for good banter....but clearly they aren't capable of coming up with it....especially when baldy nosehair is the best they got........

[SenEDDtor Missile]

1 minute ago, dbzfan7 said:

Or we could have good jokes and banter...I know the comparison is made a lot, but good banter can be funny and endear us to characters. Like Dante or Spider-Man who tend to be wise cracking banter kings. Or it could be terrible and make your protag look like a dork. I'd love for good banter....but clearly they aren't capable of coming up with it....especially when baldy nosehair is the best they got........

Well to be fair, making your character look like a dork can be endearing in it's own right.

The problem is that they don't do that; they keep pushing it straight like how they tried to make Infinite seem amazing while having the lamest motives possible. In the right hands, dealing with a psychopathic bully throwing a temper tantrum like Infinite could be legitimately scary if they knew how to handle it.

[Diogenes]

10 minutes ago, SenEDDtor Missile said:

No dragging the joke out. No constant attempts to clarify the joke to explain why it's hilarious.

Has this even happened since Colors.

[thumbs13]

Does the existence of the Sonic joke book not show that the Sonic franchise has always been unfunny?

[SenEDDtor Missile]

1 minute ago, Diogenes said:

Has this even happened since Colors.

Don't remember tbh. That's how much Colors irked me.

[dbzfan7]

3 minutes ago, SenEDDtor Missile said:

Well to be fair, making your character look like a dork can be endearing in it's own right.

The problem is that they don't do that; they keep pushing it straight like how they tried to make Infinite seem amazing while having the lamest motives possible. In the right hands, dealing with a psychopathic bully throwing a temper tantrum like Infinite could be legitimately scary if they knew how to handle it.

If the character is meant to be dorky and not very good at banter sure....But Sonic is supposed to be good at it. And is proud of his jokes rancid odor. That angle tends to work better if the protag is aware of their shortcomings, and is trying hard to sound clever. 

[DabigRG]

Show of hands: Anyone else expected one reply to be "Like this thread?"

Kinda glad it isn't.

2 hours ago, StaticMania said:

You mean like the cutscene in Frozen Factory where everyone was just in silence at his cold pun?

They cood do dat.

Yeah, if we have to make something of this, try to keep it to that level.

It's not like he tells jokes all that often anyway.

30 minutes ago, Dr. Detective Mike said:

He could tell some good jokes too. 

Ch'yeah, it's like if you're gonna do it, hit the mark occasionally.

6 minutes ago, thumbs13 said:

Does the existence of the Sonic joke book not show that the Sonic franchise has always been unfunny?

Oh goodness, there's a joke book?

 

[SenEDDtor Missile]

3 minutes ago, dbzfan7 said:

If the character is meant to be dorky and not very good at banter sure....But Sonic is supposed to be good at it. And is proud of his jokes rancid odor. That angle tends to work better if the protag is aware of their shortcomings, and is trying hard to sound clever. 

Yeah that's my point. They keep on trying to make him seem cool and good with jokes, but they handle the jokes so poorly that he just comes off as a smug dudebro who's too overindulgent of himself. Playing his "humor" straight while not really being funny or witty.

[thumbs13]

2 minutes ago, DabigRG said:

Oh goodness, there's a joke book?

 

Yeah, it had almost nothing to do with sonic, but it exists.

https://sonic.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Joke_Book

[Sonictrainer]

I liked Sonic's remark towards Zeena in Frozen Factory.

[Wraith]

Sonic telling jokes is whatever. I think dwelling too much on it or making too many attempts to wink at the screen and go yes we know this is corny would make it worse. Sonic games feel insecure enough as they are. 

[dbzfan7]

11 minutes ago, SenEDDtor Missile said:

Yeah that's my point. They keep on trying to make him seem cool and good with jokes, but they handle the jokes so poorly that he just comes off as a smug dudebro who's too overindulgent of himself. Playing his "humor" straight while not really being funny or witty.

He just needs to drink booze and then he'll complete the frat boy douche image. That's exactly what I see him as. That guy in college who thinks he's hot shit and really damn funny, but everyone around him just can't stand him. Though he thinks everyone believes his humor is actually witty and intelligent.

[DabigRG]

7 minutes ago, thumbs13 said:

Yeah, it had almost nothing to do with sonic, but it exists.

https://sonic.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Joke_Book

 

Quote

"What do you do if you split your sides laughing?"

"What's the World's Fastest Bean?"

These are on the same page, btw.

4 minutes ago, Sonictrainer said:

I liked Sonic's remark towards Zeena in Frozen Factory.

Yeah, that was wonderful.

 

 

[herefor1reason]

The problem isn't that he tells bad jokes, in moderation that could be fine (especially if he's given deadpan silence by tails), the problem is that they've made telling bad jokes his entire character. Compare how he acts now to how he acted in the Adventure games or hell, Unleashed (the opening specifically, after that he's mainly just a generic anime nice guy). He's not making jokes, he's being snarky/sassy. He's taking his opponents lightly because he's cocky and kinda full of himself and he likes taking bad guys down a peg. Eggman takes himself pretty seriously and Sonic doesn't. He takes the THREAT Eggman and his plans pose seriously enough but Eggman himself? Nah, Sonic's got Eggman handled and he knows it. The humor in their interactions comes from Eggman, a villain who takes himself seriously, getting undermined by Sonic, who's mostly just toying with him. Eggman becomes a genuine threat when he subverts this expectation  and turns the tables (like when he holds Amy hostage in SA2). Sonic is to Eggman what Bugs Bunny is to Elmer Fudd.

[DabigRG]

6 minutes ago, herefor1reason said:

The problem isn't that he tells bad jokes, in moderation that could be fine (especially if he's given deadpan silence by tails), the problem is that they've made telling bad jokes his entire character.

Sonic is to Eggman what Bugs Bunny is to Elmer Fudd.

I definitely take it that far.

Or Yosemite Sam anyway.

[AdventChild]

Yeah, the current writing style for jokes in the games are just poorly written and executed without any kind of wit to it, trying too hard to be 'kewl'. Honestly, the writers from DMC series would be perfect to give Sonic the fine balance of humor and wit.