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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31977
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31977
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

A juvenile, in human terms, typically refers to a post-pubescent child that is too young for adult responsibilities.

In our culture such people are aware of adult themes (sexuality, pornography, politics and political philosophy, some business practices perhaps, religious philosophy, crime and criminal enterprises, war and the military life, race relations, homosexuality, alcohol, tobacco and drug use and addiction, how marriage works) but have little or no adult **_experience_** with any of it.

Yet this lack of deep knowledge does not prevent them from thinking they know everything they need to know about it and how it **should** work.

That is betrayed in their simplistic writing, and in their crass humor and what they think is "logic" but ignores what the vast majority of adults would consider important caveats, exceptions, or nuances.

There is a psychological theory of humor that "what is funny" depends heavily on what a person knows are "the accepted rules" of society. It is why very young children find bathroom humor hilarious, and political or sexual situation comedy opaque: They understand the rules about not farting or pooping your pants, they don't understand politics or sex in the least.

That applies to juveniles, too. A juvenile may think a joke about homosexuals is hilarious, while an adult is offended, because the adult knows such jokes demean and endanger actual people, and the adult may have friends (as I do) that ARE homosexuals that would be offended, so the adult (through greater life experience) is also offended on their behalf.

Frequently to adults, juvenile humor just seems stupid and uninformed, but is to some extent forgiven if the humor comes from an actual juvenile. They will grow out of it.

If it comes from an adult of normal intellect, it is much less forgiven, it indicates a willful failure to grow up and understand the real world, and if they DO understand, a willingness to be mean and uncaring about others. That is not good friend material.

Your final words _"... and does it taste nice?"_ are juvenile, they treat a serious subject as a joke and imply you don't really give a shit about the answer, you are really just looking for a laugh and seeking attention. Those are more juvenile traits, resorting to derision and jokes and dismissive commentary to cover up their lacks of understanding. They naively think by turning something into a joke (offensive or not) they can always take it back as "just joking," but adults understand that juvenile ploy and don't buy it.

Many juveniles cannot ask a serious question and are reluctant to admit their lack of experience, so they bluff, or try to use humor as a cover (that adults just think is stupid), or they make claims that are obviously mistaken or based on misunderstandings to people with experience.

All of those things together contribute to "juvenile tone," it is something an adult will roll their eyes at as overly simplistic and an uninformed pretense at a sophisticated understanding.

Original score: 10