Black People are sensitive in nature. Inside every angry black man is a black child tired of being picked on. Playing The Dozens is a good way to not only shield this fact but it’s a great tool on making the black person feel better about themselves (assuming they’re telling the funnier jokes). The first thing they attack are always the insecurities. If you have any deep dark embarrassing secrets DO NOT TELL YOUR BLACK FRIEND! It’ll only come out later in a pun that’ll have the whole neighborhood laughing except you. Either by you playing the dozens and you getting the better of them and it “slips out.” Or in one of those heated arguments where you’ve told them about themselves. And the only ammo they have to counter and end up having the last word is to pull that out. One way or another that secret’s coming out.

It always starts off simple with the typical “look alike” joke. eg: “Get yo Rodney Dangerfield looking ass outta here!” If they see that’s not working they move on to the more obvious, the visual. eg: “Get yo Iron Sheik shoe wearing ass outta here!” This of course is assuming you are wearing a run-down pair of sneakers. Finally if all else fails they go straight for the jugular. Unleashing that “deep, dark secret.” eg: “Yeah, well at I didn’t eat marshmallows out of a grown man’s ass in college!” Leaving you in a state of complete embarrassment. But don’t think you can turn the tables if you are one of the fortunate ones to know a black person’s darkest secret and expose them. You’ll only shatter their ego leaving them in a inconsolable state and hellbent on fighting you.