The Internet Is Transforming Our Humor — One Condensed Phrase at a Time

The internet has a subtle way of weaving its vocabulary into our daily chats. That’s how people in their late 30s find themselves casually mentioning things like “reheated nachos” with no trace of irony. However, internet slang doesn’t merely alter our speech — it’s reshaping our sense of humor. By 2025, the internet won’t just be somewhere we go. It’s the destination. And it’s rewriting the comedy playbook.

As one perplexed individual once exclaimed: “Wow… everything’s computer.”

That expression — “everything’s computer” — has evolved into a type of shorthand for the internet’s fresh comedic approach: concise, absurd, and strangely insightful. It’s part of a larger movement where humor flourishes on simplified, grammatically flawed expressions. Think of Kevin from The Office saying, “Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?” That’s the essence.

Once you recognize it, you spot it everywhere. “Everything’s computer.” “Trump take egg.” “Luckily, I have purse.” These expressions eliminate articles, prepositions, and coherence, boiling concepts down to their most ludicrous core. It’s not an entirely new comedic technique — we’ve long experimented with language, from spoonerisms to classic one-liners like “Don’t call me Shirley.” But the contemporary iteration is distinctly digital: quick, odd, and self-referential.

This humor style resonates because it’s both silly and somewhat accurate. When someone utters “Everything’s computer,” it’s amusing due to its absurdity — and because it somewhat is. The joke morphs into a meme, and the meme transforms into a phrase you casually say.

This flavor of comedy isn’t limited to your Twitter timeline or TikTok For You page. It’s popping up in real life, especially among the Extremely Online. Comedian Caleb Hearon, host of the podcast So True, exemplifies this. His career skyrocketed online, and his humor frequently embraces this minimalist, absurdist approach. In recent episodes, Hearon and his guests poke fun at phrases like:

– “I can’t have boyfriends, plural. I struggle to think of singular boyfriend.”
– “By the time the leaves change again, it’ll be bad for gay.”
– “They’re taking gay away.”
– “Where are the fat ones because we’ll need to send extra team.”

These quips are hilarious not solely because they’re absurd, but because they convey something genuine in the most lighthearted manner possible. Hearon, who identifies as gay, employs this comedic style to lighten serious topics — such as persecution or marginalization — by making them seem ridiculous. It’s a form of defiance, a means of reclaiming power from the frightening aspects by laughing at them.

Comedy has long held political significance, and in an era where right-wing sentiments are gaining traction, absurdist humor seems a fitting counterbalance. It’s chaotic, subversive, and playfully unserious — the antithesis of the optimistic, sincere tone of shows like Parks and Recreation during the Obama administration.

Reducing a joke to its simplest form compels the punchline to shine on its own. There’s no space for excess — only the humorous essence, delivered swiftly and impactfully. Often, the finest jokes in this style target the influential. The fractured language reflects the flawed logic of the systems and individuals under ridicule.

Or perhaps this is merely an elaborate way of stating: funny things are funny. And sometimes, that suffices.

As a sage once remarked: “Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?”