They believe they’re making a clever analogy about being the “fastest” and “best” of millions. It doesn’t work the same way when you’re talking about a single egg that doesn’t move.
Sperm can propel themselves, so a lot of jokes just work better imagining you’re a sperm cell with an active role than an egg cell which we didn’t know until recently can “reject” or “accept” sperm cells, and that’s not common knowledge. So people imagine sperm as having agency and eggs just take the first sperm that reaches it.
Because the sperm has this amazing, thrilling race, where the winner gets its prize, the egg, where he enters and grows into a baby and eventually into an adult sperm (known as a person).
A lot of people genuinely don’t know how conception works. I argued for hours with people who insisted that a man carry the sperm that becomes his children his whole life but didn’t acknowledge that’s actually true about eggs not sperm. They were tryna one up their wife who said she carried the kid for 9 months by saying he carried it his whole life.
I’ve heard jokes about both but honestly, sperm is just funnier. There are also lots of jokes about being in your mother’s womb, so I think it balances out
Jizz just seems a lot more funny, crusted socks, stuff towels, black lights, pearl necklaces. something that is gently fanned down from fallopian tubes to a lovely soft nesting spot I guess isn’t dramatic or mental image creating enough to form jokes about.
the rat race that is the real life is similar to the millions of sperm cells.
there are way more sperm cells than egg cells involved in a conception, so calling yourself a sperm fits the “humble origin” gag much better.
conversely, sperm is also often wasted (ejaculation, blowjob, anal, etc), so this can make one feel extra special (becoming a person against all odds).
women as well as the egg tend to serve the passive reception role in sexual reproduction vs the male/sperm counter parts, so whether or not you could come into existence depended much more on your dad.
men tend to make crude jokes way more than women, so the sperm is naturally more relatable in these types of jokes.
and if you’re feeling extra hate-y today, we can add in sexism in there too, but this isn’t very logical — it’s not like the joke is elegant; it’s rather crass.
Because there’s only one egg but millions of sperm. Although theres also variation on what egg is “chosen”, at the point where the woman gets pregnant the egg is already decided. However any of the healthy sperm from the man can be “chosen” during sex. I doubt the average person is thinking this when they make a sperm joke, but thats my best guess as to why its the sperm and not egg.
I think it’s just a holdover from the time when people thought that men were the creators of life and women were just the “receptacle” for that life to grow in.
For most of human history, we didn’t have the technology to know that eggs even existed, but sperm was something you could literally see go inside the woman before pregnancy, so it seemed obvious that the actual “life” was in the ejaculation, and the woman just took that life and grew it into a baby.
Even though we now know that not to be true, for the majority of human history we didn’t, and that affects the culture and views around reproduction to this day. Culture doesn’t adapt to science very quickly.
Sure. You can identify as the egg. You can identify as an amalgamation of your biological parents in addition to all the influences that have made you who you are along the way.
It’s your imagination, use it.
Please imagine responsibly. U/thatthatguy is not legally or ethically liable for the consequences of imagination.
The joke usually is “a million sperm and you won” indicating you’re 1 in 1million and you are a waste of space and the worst outcome that was possible.
This is a fascinating subject though as you always think of the sperm being you that then develops in the egg.
Does it mean as that the egg dictated you were always destined to be and needed the sperm just to start the process of who you “consciously” (before life experiences change you) are?
Or is it in fact that it’s not 1 in 1million (roughly) or a far higher ratio as it has to be that sperm with that particular egg to create “you”
Chaos theory. The butterfly effect. If you went back in time to the day you were conceived and met your parents, the SLIGHTEST interaction with your father, something as simple as waving at him, could change which sperm resulted in the kid conceived that day — or even if a kid was conceived at all. But the egg is already sitting there waiting. That half of the equation is pretty set for the current month, barring exceptions like fraternal twins or something. You’d have to prevent them from having sex altogether for a few days for the outcome to change on Mom’s side.
Yes. Each gamete contains half the genetic code necessary for a human.
Though it wasn’t you, at the time. Saying sperm and egg are a person is the equivalent of calling flour, butter, sugar, and eggs a pound cake. Until conception fuses them together into the body of a new human, they are not an organism.
Comments
Because the don’t understand basic biology.
Because the rooster came on the egg
Biological sexism
Sperm compete with each other.
They believe they’re making a clever analogy about being the “fastest” and “best” of millions. It doesn’t work the same way when you’re talking about a single egg that doesn’t move.
I’ve never heard a person joke about being a sperm
Sperm can propel themselves, so a lot of jokes just work better imagining you’re a sperm cell with an active role than an egg cell which we didn’t know until recently can “reject” or “accept” sperm cells, and that’s not common knowledge. So people imagine sperm as having agency and eggs just take the first sperm that reaches it.
Because the sperm has this amazing, thrilling race, where the winner gets its prize, the egg, where he enters and grows into a baby and eventually into an adult sperm (known as a person).
We like the motility of sperm.
A lot of people genuinely don’t know how conception works. I argued for hours with people who insisted that a man carry the sperm that becomes his children his whole life but didn’t acknowledge that’s actually true about eggs not sperm. They were tryna one up their wife who said she carried the kid for 9 months by saying he carried it his whole life.
Eggs are never the yoke of the party… yoke… sounds like joke… yoke, joke… eggs have yokes… yoke of the party… oh come on people!!!
Are we the egg… or are we in the egg…
Thats why..
A sperm is still a sperm til it’s been accepted and starts forming as a baby..
I’ve heard jokes about both but honestly, sperm is just funnier. There are also lots of jokes about being in your mother’s womb, so I think it balances out
I think it’s mostly because sperm looks like a being more than an egg.
Jizz just seems a lot more funny, crusted socks, stuff towels, black lights, pearl necklaces. something that is gently fanned down from fallopian tubes to a lovely soft nesting spot I guess isn’t dramatic or mental image creating enough to form jokes about.
Because sperm “does stuff”… The egg just kinda sits there (I’m sure this is technically wrong, but it’s answering to my current knowledge)
If you tell us one of these jokes we can then tell you why it’s about a sperm instead of an egg…
the rat race that is the real life is similar to the millions of sperm cells.
there are way more sperm cells than egg cells involved in a conception, so calling yourself a sperm fits the “humble origin” gag much better.
conversely, sperm is also often wasted (ejaculation, blowjob, anal, etc), so this can make one feel extra special (becoming a person against all odds).
women as well as the egg tend to serve the passive reception role in sexual reproduction vs the male/sperm counter parts, so whether or not you could come into existence depended much more on your dad.
men tend to make crude jokes way more than women, so the sperm is naturally more relatable in these types of jokes.
and if you’re feeling extra hate-y today, we can add in sexism in there too, but this isn’t very logical — it’s not like the joke is elegant; it’s rather crass.
The egg we all are was going to be that one egg, but the sperm could have been any one of millions.
Because the chicken came before the egg
I think the reason is because the sperm is the life and The egg Carry their life till the end of the pregnancy.
Sperm come from the man and do all the work
The Patriarchy, man.
Because there’s only one egg but millions of sperm. Although theres also variation on what egg is “chosen”, at the point where the woman gets pregnant the egg is already decided. However any of the healthy sperm from the man can be “chosen” during sex. I doubt the average person is thinking this when they make a sperm joke, but thats my best guess as to why its the sperm and not egg.
I think it’s just a holdover from the time when people thought that men were the creators of life and women were just the “receptacle” for that life to grow in.
For most of human history, we didn’t have the technology to know that eggs even existed, but sperm was something you could literally see go inside the woman before pregnancy, so it seemed obvious that the actual “life” was in the ejaculation, and the woman just took that life and grew it into a baby.
Even though we now know that not to be true, for the majority of human history we didn’t, and that affects the culture and views around reproduction to this day. Culture doesn’t adapt to science very quickly.
Well in all fairness the egg isnt much of an active partner in the relationship. the sperm at least are wriggling a round.
🎵Misogyny, it’s always Missssogggyyynnnyyyy🎵
I’ve joked previously about being the fastest egg specifically to invert this.
Misogyny
Easier to personify the one that actually moves.
Eggs only carry an X chromosome while sperm carry either the X or Y chromosome, essentially determining who you are.
As a sperm, you were the winner,
As an egg, you just sat there.
I think it’s as simple as it’s mostly men who make this joke and men would rather joke about being a winning little superswimmer
Sure. You can identify as the egg. You can identify as an amalgamation of your biological parents in addition to all the influences that have made you who you are along the way.
It’s your imagination, use it.
Please imagine responsibly. U/thatthatguy is not legally or ethically liable for the consequences of imagination.
Patriarchy
So the egg came first?
Eggs are lazy. Sittin’ around, eatin’ bonbons, just a-waitin’ fer the milkman to commeth.
Sperm all like, “is this supposed egg gonna meet half way or do I gotta do aaaall the damn swimming?”
BTW, I’m kidding
Because the egg isn’t a funny little fish-thingy with a squiggly tail racing against other little fish-thingies with squiggly tails!
What would the egg joke be then? Bitch I allowed myself to be created?
While the ova is the largest cell in the body, the sperm is the more active participant in the process.
misogyny
The joke usually is “a million sperm and you won” indicating you’re 1 in 1million and you are a waste of space and the worst outcome that was possible.
This is a fascinating subject though as you always think of the sperm being you that then develops in the egg.
Does it mean as that the egg dictated you were always destined to be and needed the sperm just to start the process of who you “consciously” (before life experiences change you) are?
Or is it in fact that it’s not 1 in 1million (roughly) or a far higher ratio as it has to be that sperm with that particular egg to create “you”
Chaos theory. The butterfly effect. If you went back in time to the day you were conceived and met your parents, the SLIGHTEST interaction with your father, something as simple as waving at him, could change which sperm resulted in the kid conceived that day — or even if a kid was conceived at all. But the egg is already sitting there waiting. That half of the equation is pretty set for the current month, barring exceptions like fraternal twins or something. You’d have to prevent them from having sex altogether for a few days for the outcome to change on Mom’s side.
If you think about you are the sperm cell and the egg but at the same time you are neither of them.
The egg is just the shell, while the sperm holds the spirit.
Yes. Each gamete contains half the genetic code necessary for a human.
Though it wasn’t you, at the time. Saying sperm and egg are a person is the equivalent of calling flour, butter, sugar, and eggs a pound cake. Until conception fuses them together into the body of a new human, they are not an organism.
Because sperm is colloquially considered “seed”.
You hear people talking about fruit having once been a seed, not the soil that the seed was planted in.