The “What’s the deal with airline food?” joke is a classic, often-cited example of observational humor. It’s a line that became famous thanks to comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, who used it in the 1980s and 1990s as part of his stand-up comedy routines. The joke typically pokes fun at the low quality or weirdness of food served on airplanes, highlighting something mundane that everyone experiences but rarely discusses in a comedic way.
Here’s why the airline food joke became such a big deal:
1. Observational Humor
The joke is a quintessential form of observational humor, where comedians take everyday, often trivial experiences and make them funny by pointing out the absurdity or strangeness of something we usually overlook. In this case, airline food—often thought of as bland, mass-produced, or just strange in flavor or appearance—became a popular target.
It goes something like this: “What’s the deal with airline food? It’s either too hot or too cold, and no one ever knows what it’s supposed to taste like!”
Everyone who’s flown on an airplane can relate to the odd experience of eating a meal in cramped quarters, sometimes with questionable quality. By exaggerating or critiquing these common experiences, comedians like Seinfeld connected with audiences.
2. Seinfeld’s Influence
Jerry Seinfeld popularized this type of humor with his stand-up routines and his iconic show Seinfeld. His comedic style often focused on mundane aspects of everyday life, like relationships, work, and, of course, airline food. The phrase “What’s the deal with airline food?” became shorthand for a certain type of generic, observational joke that points out the mediocrity or confusion around simple things.
Seinfeld didn’t necessarily invent the joke, but his use of it solidified it in popular culture. The phrase “What’s the deal with…” became a format that people associated with Seinfeld’s brand of humor, even being parodied by other comedians.
3. Cliché Status and Parody
Over time, the airline food joke became something of a cliché in comedy. It started to be seen as a low-hanging fruit—an easy, almost overused target for stand-up comedians. As a result, the joke itself became the punchline, often used to mock stand-up comedians who rely on basic or uninspired material.
For example, someone might jokingly say, “What’s the deal with airline food?” as a way to poke fun at themselves or others for making an obvious, generic observation.
In this sense, the joke has transcended its original meaning and has become more of a meta-joke about comedy itself. It’s now often used ironically or in a self-aware way to reference the “safe” observational comedy that became popular in the 80s and 90s.
4. Why Airline Food?
Airline food, specifically, became a frequent subject for jokes because of how universally relatable it is for people who have traveled. The experience of eating a meal in a confined space, miles in the air, often served in plastic containers, is inherently strange and sometimes unpleasant. With the added challenges of reheating pre-prepared meals and the effect that high altitude has on taste buds, the food is rarely stellar. This shared, often disappointing experience made it a prime target for comedians.
Key Points:
- Observational Humor: The joke reflects the common, relatable experience of eating subpar food on planes, which makes it funny to many people.
- Jerry Seinfeld’s Influence: The phrase became iconic thanks to Seinfeld, who used similar jokes in his stand-up routines and on his show.
- Cliché Status: Over time, it became overused in stand-up comedy, leading to it becoming a parody of itself and representing generic, low-hanging comedic material.
- Relatable Experience: Airline food is an easy target because so many people have experienced its mediocrity, making it a shared cultural reference point.
In summary, the “What’s the deal with airline food?” joke is a classic example of observational humor that became iconic thanks to comedians like Jerry Seinfeld. While it started as a relatable joke about a common experience, it has since become a bit of a cliché, often referenced as a parody of simple, easy comedy.
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