{"slug":"bad-joke-eel","name":"Bad Joke Eel","url":"/templates/bad-joke-eel.jpg","w":500,"h":371,"top":"PUN SETUP","bottom":"GROAN-WORTHY PUNCHLINE","description":"Bad Joke Eel meme maker. A moray eel with a goofy underwater grin delivers the kind of jokes that make people physically recoil. Nature's own stand-up comedian with a 0% approval rating.","keywords":"bad joke eel meme, eel pun meme, moray eel meme, terrible joke meme, eel meme, groan joke meme","year":2012,"origin":"A photograph of a moray eel peering out from coral, brownish-gray body blending into the dark underwater backdrop, with a wide round eye and a slightly open mouth that looks like a goofy grin. The image was adopted as a meme on Reddit around 2012, quickly becoming a companion format to Lame Pun Coon (raccoon on a blue background). Both deliver terrible puns, but Bad Joke Eel occupies a slightly different lane: the eel's underwater grin suggests it genuinely thinks the joke is good, while the raccoon knows it's bad and doesn't care. Top text sets up a question or scenario; bottom text delivers a pun so forced it could crack a windshield. For science-specific wordplay, see Chemistry Cat (lab-coat puns). If the joke format leans more toward philosophical absurdity than groan puns, Philosoraptor (shower thoughts) is the closer match.","format":"classic","howToMake":["Bad Joke Eel is grinning from the reef and ready to ruin your day with wordplay","Top text poses the question or scenario. Bottom text delivers the pun. The eel format favors clean setup/punchline jokes, usually in a \"What do you call...\" or \"Why did the...\" structure","Aim for the jokes that make people groan, close their eyes, or physically turn away. If the recipient says \"get out,\" the eel did its job","White Impact with thick black stroke over the dark underwater background. The eel's brownish-gray coloring is muted, so the text pops easily without competing for attention","The damage is done. Download your terrible joke as a PNG, or Copy the eel's finest material into a chat to clear the room"],"exampleCaptions":["WHAT DO YOU CALL A FISH WITHOUT EYES?","A FSH"],"exampleAltText":"Bad Joke Eel meme asking what you call a fish without eyes and answering a fsh","exampleRefreshDate":"2026-03-09","seo":{"aliases":["Eel Joke Meme","Moray Eel Meme","Pun Eel","Terrible Joke Eel","Bad Pun Eel","Grinning Eel Meme"],"description":"A moray eel emerges from a dark underwater scene, brownish-gray skin speckled and worn, a single wide round eye catching the light. Its mouth hangs slightly open, revealing small teeth in what looks unmistakably like a self-satisfied grin. Coral and rock frame the background. The eel looks like it just told a joke to a fish that swam away, and it's still proud of the material. The dark, moody underwater setting contrasts perfectly with the lighthearted awfulness of every caption. This is an animal that lives alone in a crevice, and after hearing its jokes, you understand why.","definition":"A moray eel with a dopey grin peering out from an underwater crevice, paired with a setup/punchline joke format. The puns are deliberately terrible: forced wordplay, obvious punchlines, the kind of material that empties a room. Originally surfaced on Reddit around 2012 as a companion to Lame Pun Coon, distinguished by the eel's apparent belief that the joke is actually good.","useCases":[{"category":"Classic Setup/Punchline","examples":["What do you call a fish without eyes? / A fsh","What do you call a bear in the rain? / A drizzly bear","Why don't skeletons fight each other? / They don't have the guts","What did the ocean say to the shore? / Nothing, it just waved","Why did the scarecrow win an award? / He was outstanding in his field"]},{"category":"Animal Jokes","examples":["What do you call a lazy kangaroo? / A pouch potato","What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? / Frostbite","Why do seagulls fly over the sea? / Because if they flew over the bay they'd be bagels","What do you call a dog that does magic tricks? / A Labracadabrador","What do you get from a pampered cow? / Spoiled milk"]},{"category":"Food Jokes","examples":["What did the grape say when it got stepped on? / Nothing, it just let out a little wine","Why did the cookie go to the hospital? / Because it felt crummy","What do you call a sad strawberry? / A blueberry","Why couldn't the sesame seed leave the casino? / He was on a roll","What did the buffalo say when his son left for college? / Bison"]},{"category":"Work & School Groaners","examples":["Why did the teacher wear sunglasses? / Because the students were so bright","What do lawyers wear to court? / Lawsuits","Why did the can crusher quit his job? / It was soda pressing","How does a penguin build its house? / Igloos it together","Why did the worker get fired from the orange juice factory? / Lack of concentration"]},{"category":"Science & Nature Puns","examples":["Why can't you hear a pterodactyl going to the bathroom? / Because the P is silent","How do you organize a space party? / You planet","What did the limestone say to the geologist? / Don't take me for granite","Why are chemists great at solving problems? / They have all the solutions","What's a tree's favorite drink? / Root beer"]},{"category":"Everyday Life Zingers","examples":["I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high / She looked surprised","Why do bicycles fall over? / Because they're two-tired","What do you call a factory that sells passable products? / A satisfactory","What do you call someone with no body and no nose? / Nobody knows","I'm terrified of elevators / I'm going to start taking steps to avoid them"]},{"category":"Holiday & Seasonal","examples":["What do snowmen eat for breakfast? / Frosted Flakes","Why was the broom late? / It over-swept","What did one wall say to the other wall? / I'll meet you at the corner","How does Moses make his coffee? / Hebrews it"]}]}}