Sometimes we want people to understand so badly that we end up spending the majority of the time explaining the joke. If they would just get it they would love it.
Taking the metaphor a few steps further…
If you have to explain the joke you need a new audience (or a new joke).
No one gets into comedy because they love explaining jokes.
All that energy going towards explaining is time that could be used for making (other) people laugh.
The people who are laughing know other people who like to laugh at similar jokes.
