> But not everybody knew, and even some regulars found it less than funny, so how could a newcomer know that?

A list of five people are not hated, and everyone else is? Anybody who doesn't get that that's a joke deserves the confusion for mistaking it to be serious. As I recall, one relatively new person took offense and has now hopefully learned. The others that didn't find it funny weren't mistaking it to be serious but simply realizing the fact that it actually *isn't* funny, but not because it wasn't intended to be.