Nicki Minaj and the Double Entendre: When Explaining a Joke Doesn’t Kill It

Abstract A drag queen, a rap superstar, and a double entendre walked onto the set of a reality show … and revamped a prevailing assumption about humor. A common view holds that explaining a joke weakens or eliminates its humorous appeal, but is this always true? An episode of Ru Paul’s Drag Race in which Nicki Minaj appeared as a guest judge casts doubt on the adage that explanation kills a joke and presents an opportunity to consider cases in which it might confer benefits. Using Minaj as an illustrative example, I first propose that explaining a joke is not always a detriment. From there, I consider the possibility that some jokes might be enhanced by explanation. Finally, I investigate the potential for explaining a joke to serve as an exercise in community-building by expanding its reach to facilitate intimacy among a broader audience.