step on the joke

To 'step on a joke' is a term in comedy writing. It means to ruin a decent joke by by following it too quickly with a riff or another punchline in an attempt to draw more laughs. Stepping on a joke is a fatal flaw of bad sitcoms and improv groups, where several actors may step on each other's jokes in attempts to one-up each other. Joke-stepping is particularly noticeable in certain comics, where attempts to cram several related punchlines into a short space such as a final panel are more obvious than in filmed media. In some usage, to step on a joke means to ruin it by deflating it or explaining it. This is more accurately called 'killing the joke' which can be a deliberate form of anti-humor. Stepping on the joke usually isn't.