To be tired of friends comedy double act?

[Necrotic]

My lovely friend is very funny on her own, she’s witty and a little sarcastic very much in a Jenifer Saunders type way. She’s not the type to “try” and be funny constantly, she just is … it’s her one liners, her facial expressions etc … she often has me in stitches and she is a good friend.

Anyway a few weeks ago she asked me how I was getting home one night and I said I’d be waiting for a bus. She said “Percy” will give me a lift (her boyfriend) as he was picking her up and they’d be driving past my house on the way home. I was very grateful.

Percy arrives and I get in the car. Immediately the comedy duo begins … sniping at each other, “comical” arguing back and forth … Insults to and throw … it was funny to be fair and I did laugh but it was constant, all the way home (30 minute drive) and by the end of the drive I was definitely fake laughing.

Percy has given me a lift every week since and the comedy act has happened the full drive every week - I’ve always laughed along but in all honesty it’s gotten a bit tiring now, it’s not actually that funny to someone not in the joke … I’ve laughed along to be polite but I’m bored of the act now!

So last night I didn’t laugh. I smiled at the jokes but didn’t laugh. Friend asked me if I was ok and I said I was fine, just knackered but did make an effort to say this with a smile! Percy then started to bring me in on the jokes and started throwing low level insults my way (nothing offensive) - I did laugh at that (the insults was funny) and she was punch him everytime and then it just got worse, comical shouting at each other, punching each other etc … all the while friend keeps looking at me to check if I’m laughing!! She text me late last night to ask if I’m ok again as I seemed unhappy in the car …

if I say I don’t need a lift home now she will know it’s personal but I can’t carry on this fake laughing!! It’s driving me nuts!! AIBU

You object to their fake act, yet you're performing one of your own.

Why not just tell your friend the truth? "The endless wisecracking gets stale very quickly. "

Can't you take control of the conversation a bit. Ask them about their day, what they are upto at the weekend, tell them about your holiday plans?

YANBU.

They sound weird.
Must be exhausting to live the way they do.
Are they ever able to be serious, or even neutral?
They sound like people who can’t deal with emotions and life and have to be ’joking’ all the time.

Anyway, they do sound very odd.

They sound rough as fuck, to be blunt. None of what you've described comes within a thousand miles of "witty". I'm getting strong screeching in Wetherspoons vibes. But interesting that she's different without him. Whether you can stand it for the sake of the lift depends on how unappealing the alternatives are. I have the world's worst poker face, so my true feelings would have been very clear to them by now.

This.

That sounds tedious. Because it's not actually funny. It's just crude. And they are performing not bantering, and need you as an audience.

But... I think if it was me, I'd just make a decision. If you really like these people and want them in your life, decide to take the lift and have a laugh. Laughing is incredibly good for us. Even fake laughter is known to improve physiological states. Consider it as a mini workout and then don't overthink it.

If you are not so bothered about the friendship, then I'd risk being honest and say, I love you but when you banter all the way home I feel under pressure to pretend to find it hilarious for 30 minutes straight and I really don't. Sorry. They might be hurt but at least you won't be ghosting them if you get the bus.

Right this isn’t funny to me but if it is to you then fine, as this was going on I’d say ‘Jesus Christ it’s like being in a car with 2 toddlers with you two’ or ‘I’m gonna bring my headphones next week, you two are like a pair of kids’ I’d just drop subtle hints that I could say ‘I’m only joking’ if they took offence but hope they might take the hint that they’re boring

Send your friend this quote from The Office

Tim : Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against this sort of thing. It's a good cause, but I just don't want to have to join in with someone else's idea of wackiness, okay? It's the wackiness I can't stand.

But…. None of this is actually funny.
Is this the ’joking’ all the time?
I’m glad that thse two found each other, bit this isin’t humour.

Jennifer Saunders? Benny Hill more like it.

God they sound childish and their relationship is weird. I remember catching accidentally that awful celebrity Mr and Mrs show once and Kevin Clifton from Strictly was on with Karen when they were together. They said they did this stuff all the time and ran around their house chasing each other and screaming. That didn't last, did it?

Have you known her a long time? Has she been like this with other guys or just this one?

They are being rude and inconsiderate by having the same (presumably) conversations when YOU are there that they would have with each other alone. Her checking you are laughing sounds like 'don't you think he is great, isn't he funny, aren't I lucky?)

It wouldn't be funny to me because none if it would be about ME. As a guest in the car, they should be directing the conversation to INCLUDE you.

If you can't be direct, how about inventing something else you need to do so they can't give you a lift? (Not sure of the circumstances of the lift so not sure what exactly). Or leave earlier.

Borrow a classic Northern Irish phrase for this situation.
’you pair are doing my head in’
’yousons are melting me’
’ach would you two ever give over!’

You say she's a good friend.
Could you have a nice chat with her on your own, when she's in a calm mood and it's just your dynamic, and say you really appreciate the lift, but with Percy around the conversation never varies and even the funniest things don't stand too much repetition, so you're finding the drive a bit much. Say when it's just her there is room for other kinds of conversation and humour. She will probably recognise the truth of this. Ask if she could mix things up a bit.

I thought you were going to repeat some hilarious witticisms op, but this is just so not funny. It's performance banter the sort my 16 year old grandson would find funny but I find cruel and puerile. It isn't even slightly funny just tedious.

They are now drawing you into their roasting/banter session. I had similar with two work colleagues when I was invited to a meal at one of their homes. Started just fine, but deteriorated into a double act with constant private jokes all other attendees were excluded from, very loud singing of Abba songs to huge guffaws. I think most of us left early leaving them to it. They are a pair I actively avoid- two queen bees other staff became afraid of.

Is your friend really a great loss to you, because she sounds a big pain.

Hehe yes this!

Did you read the bit where OP said her friend would know it was personal if she declined a lift?

i used to work with someone like that. when she asked me if i was okay becuase i wasn't laughing at her so-called sense of humour (her sexually harrassing someone 30 years younger than her) i said "i don't find it funny" and i said it with my arms folded and she was mortified that i couldn't find her to be comedy gold.
they sound totally unfunny tbh

I have a couple in my family who do this....the constant 'banter' is draining and exhausting and i spend very little time with them.

I have a work colleague who sounds similar, although not the tits/dick banter, just one liners, laughing at their own jokes etc, it can be utterly exhausting. I’m often laughing on the outside while looking like Wednesday Adams on the inside.

Laughing doesn’t come easy to me though so I think I have the problem! 😆

I would just sit looking at my phone and if she looks at you to see if you are finding them hilarious(sad) raise your eyebrows like Oh God shit joke time.

They sound rough as fuck, to be blunt. None of what you've described comes within a thousand miles of "witty". I'm getting strong screeching in Wetherspoons vibes. But interesting that she's different without him. Whether you can stand it for the sake of the lift depends on how unappealing the alternatives are. I have the world's worst poker face, so my true feelings would have been very clear to them by now

I agree. They sound like those people who say things like "I'm MAD me!" and have signs up that say things like: "you dont have to be mad to work here but it helps!" vom

Dick and tit jokes arent witty, clever, or unique. They're the kind of puerile jokes that 14 year old boys find hilarious because theyre still immature. I bet their next joke will be to write BOOBS on a calculator and then wonder why you arent wetting yourself laughing.

Dont put yourself through this any more- get the bus next time.

The examples you gave aren't funny, just two pathetic so called wannabe adults trying to grow up.
I'd get the bus just I wouldn't have to listen to their shit, they both sound really rough.

Is this a weekly event where just you and this friend go out? Can't you change things so you go somewhere else at different times, not so late, or lunch times/weekends (so Percy doesn't have to pick you both up?) Do any other friends go out at the same time? You need to mix it up and see her without Percy.

Pervy!😂