In honor of April Fools’ Day—when pranks and jokes are everywhere—not every punchline lands the way we hope. According to a running CivicScience poll of nearly 10K responses, 41% of U.S. adults say they’ve made a joke recently that didn’t land well, while 59% say they haven’t (excluding those unsure or with no opinion).

Younger Americans are far more likely to admit it. Gen Z adults aged 18–29 lead, with 63% saying they’ve made a joke that didn’t land well, followed by 53% of Millennials. By contrast, Gen X and Baby Boomers are about half as likely to say the same. Men are 12 points more likely than women to report a recent joke gone wrong. Regionally, those in the West (50%) are most likely to say they’ve had a joke miss the mark, followed by the South, while other regions fall below 40%.

But demographics aren’t the only thing separating smooth comedians from those still workshopping their material. CivicScience data reveal some clear differences in humor styles and attitudes:

• Political Humor: Those who say they’ve made a joke that didn’t land well are more likely to be in favor of political jokes (76% vs. 58% of those who haven’t).
• Doubling Down: They’re five times more likely to say they’d repeat a joke if no one reacts the first time (15% vs. 3%)—a bold strategy.
• Dad Joke Fans: They’re also more than twice as likely to say they love “dad jokes” (32% vs. 14%).
• Puns: Opinions on puns are especially polarized among this group—25% say puns are the best kind of joke, and another 25% say they’re the worst. Those who haven’t made a bad joke are more likely to feel neutral.
• Clown Perception: Those who’ve had a joke fall flat are more likely to say clowns are scary, while those who haven’t are more inclined to say clowns are funny.

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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.