> We traditionally start kids off with antijokes, jokes where the "surprise factor" is that there's nothing surprising at all, where the punchline is completely predictable in hindsight. It's more than a mere "groaner.

Which I find completely strange. An antijoke doesn't make sense (and isn't funny) unless you're already familiar with a non-anti-joke!

And before you say "well it makes the kids laugh"—is that because they find it funny or because they know that laughing after a joke is what you're "supposed" to do? Maybe that's one in the same to a young child.