In the 18th century, critic John Dennis declared: "A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket."
People love to hate puns. They elicit groans, not laughs. But is the pun really the "lowest" form of humor?
The Brain on Puns
To understand a pun, your brain has to do somersaults. "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
For the second sentence to work, your brain has to: 1. Realize "Fruit" is an adjective, not a noun? No, wait. 2. Realize "Flies" is a noun (the insect), not a verb (the action). 3. Realize "Like" is a verb (to enjoy), not a preposition (similar to).
You have to hold two contradictory grammatical structures in your head simultaneously and resolve them. This is high-level cognitive functioning!
The Paraprosdokian
A specific type of high-level pun is the Paraprosdokian—a sentence where the second half forces you to reframe the first half. "I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure."
Why the Hatred?
People hate puns because they interrupt the flow of conversation. They force the listener to stop focusing on the content and focus on the structure. It's a "gotcha" moment. But in a world of serious discourse, the punster is a revolutionary, reminding us that language is a game.