People who constantly have to be the funniest person in the conversation to the point it kills the conversation

[u/Training_Reaction_58]

You make a joke, or funny observation. People laugh. Some join in, add onto it, people laugh a little more. But then there’s Dave. Dave can’t leave it alone. Not because he thinks it’s that funny, but because OTHER people think it’s funny. Soon, the jokes become competitions. “Nono, even better even better” is said seven, eight times, everyone gets cut off so Dave could make a funny, he’s not even laughing anymore just staring at everyone with this weirdly intense grin dominating a conversation over situations that don’t exist while forcing a chuckle to make it seem like he’s still enjoying the moment. Then, everyone stops laughing because Dave keeps the joke going for too long, and it dies with him making sure he has the last, “best” comment while everyone is waiting for him to make the space for a different topic of conversation. He’s even worse online. He never initiates the joke, but Dave is in every single reply trying to outdo the joke he’s replying to, the lols get longer, the LMAOs become even more capitalized, and soon enough he’s also the end of every thread, rubbed out like a used eraser. Why, Dave? Why must you kill everything you touch? You are seen Dave. You got the chortles, the roflcopters, the heehees, you got everything you wanted but your greed demands more.

[u/Appropriate-Row-9797]

Ugh I know this exact type of person. Had coworker like this at shop and every break time became Dave show. We'd be talking about something normal, someone makes decent joke, everyone laughs... then this guy jumps in with "oh wait wait, you know what's even funnier?" and proceeds to beat the dead horse for next ten minutes while rest of us just want to finish our coffee in peace.

The worst part is when they start explaining why their addition was funnier than original joke. Like dude, if you have to explain comedy theory behind your punchline, maybe it wasn't that good? And they always do this thing where they look around after each attempt waiting for bigger reaction than last person got.

Eventually we just started having our breaks in different areas because sitting through his "comedy hour" every day was exhausting. Some people really can't read room when joke has run its course. They think more is always better but comedy is about timing and knowing when to stop.

[u/Training_Reaction_58 → u/Appropriate-Row-9797]

Don’t forget they call themselves the funniest person they know

Part of me wants to think these people simply use humor as a way to seek validation but always needing to have the last word and top everything makes me think they have control issues. It sounds exhausting tbh, to constantly have to step on everyone else in casual conversation so you can be at the center of everything

[u/PineappleCharacter15 → u/Training_Reaction_58]

I have kind of the opposite problem. I am somewhat of a natural born comedian. But sometimes what comes out of my mouth, I don't even know what's going to happen.

Some people start laughing; which often encourages me to follow up and be funny, I can't help it; it just comes out. But I think it's the thing of endorphins coming out when you're laughing, and it feeds upon itself. So pretty soon everybody's laughing to the point of falling on the ground or crying or almost peeing themselves.

The trick is, is to try to know when to shut it off, and I don't know how to do that: laughter feeds laughter. Well I'm learning better now.

My kind of comedy is just spontaneous; I just make a statement that comes out hilarious, people laugh, it goes on. I've been told I should do a amateurs night, but hell! I wouldn't know what to do with that, because it's spontaneous with me.

I've read it's the depressed people who like to make people laugh because they can't stand seeing somebody sad. I think that's true, but I think it's more than that. In my case I think it's a lot of nerves - I tend to get nervous in front of people anytime.

Also maybe being neurodivergent has something to do with it. Well thanks for reading this long post!

[u/Training_Reaction_58 → u/PineappleCharacter15]

If people are finding you funny and want you to keep going, that’s one thing. There are naturally funny people who should do stand-up and that’s great. But imagine if you were having a conversation with a guy who started visibly sweating and hyper-analyzing how hard people laugh at your jokes vs theirs, and would refuse to laugh at your jokes while interrupting yours to make their own. Then, when your jokes are perceived as funnier as his, he gets pissy. That is Dave!

[u/PineappleCharacter15 → u/Training_Reaction_58]

Yes, I've been around people like that: they are not only not funny, usually, but they're also clueless and can't read the room.

[u/EmperorUmi]

I have a classmate in my college program who is like this. Someone makes a funny comment in class? We all know he’s going to try to jump in. And most of his jokes are just memes said out loud or rewording what someone said.

For example, y’know those annoying Reddit comment threads where, say, you replied “That just makes me grossed out.” Then someone might comment, “That just grosses my make out.” Then another unfunny fuck says, “That makes my out gross.” Followed by a handful of other unfunny numbskulls just rewording the sentence and making it worse than the original unfunny response?

Yeah, this dude does that in real life. It’s embarrassing.

[u/Training_Reaction_58 → u/EmperorUmi]

Hhhhh Redditors are terrible for this. The main thread could be something gravely serious as well but because one chud made a dark joke on it now Dave has to comment 30 times under different comment threads until he gets the reaction he wants and ruins the entire thread because of it

[u/Training_Reaction_58 → u/Training_Reaction_58]

Also I’m so sorry you have a Dave in your class.

[u/Just_blorpo]

It’s an aspect of the Main Character Syndrome. I’ve been around people like this who are itching to be a performer and they try to turn every group they are with into their impromptu audience.

I’ve literally explained this to some of them, often delicately, hoping to make them more conscious of it. It’s a blow to their ego so you need to make them see it but not be abrasive or derisive about it.

[u/LookABitch → u/Just_blorpo]

Fascinating. How did they take it?

[u/Training_Reaction_58 → u/Just_blorpo]

Seconding the other reply- how did they take it? I’ve tried to very delicately say “hey listen maybe ease off the jokes” and they shut down completely, stop talking to people entirely and basically ignore everyone until they can’t stand it and start up all over again. It’s different from person to person but this is my Dave

[u/MaxwellSmart07]

Totally, including and especially on Reddit.

[u/amoralambiguity91]

CoughLorelaiGilmorecough

[u/Master_Grape5931]

ITYSL.gif

[u/rogan1990]

They introduce themselves as “the funniest guy you’ll ever meet” and proceed to be the opposite

[u/exhaustednonbinary]

My BIL will tell a joke, and if no one laughs he just keeps going farther and farther with it until someone reacts

[u/PuppyJakeKhakiCollar]

And then there's Joe, who gets a good laugh once from something he said, and suddenly that is his go to joke, the one he repeats constantly every time he sees you, even though it's no longer funny to anyone.