The only problem with subtle humor aimed at most people is that it just kind of slips right past them. Even when it's not based on awful puns.
I was at my aunt and uncles at the end of last year. For some reason they have a pet guinea pig. My sister was with us and couldn't resist picking it up to play with it since she had one when she was a kid.
I looked over at her and said, "You'd better watch out. Those things are killers. They'll take out a person's jugular before you could blink."
My sister gave me the 'you're an idiot' look, but my aunt's mouth dropped open and she said "Oh no, he'd never do that. He's as gentle as could be."
She was completely serious.
If she'd said something like "Oh no, we just had his fangs removed and he's been pretty docile ever since, except for the time he ate that cat", then I'd have known she was ok.
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100 pounds of shit in a 25 pound sack.