I didn't know how to title this thread, but the question is for new and experienced comics alike.
One of the age old responses to "I'm a Comedian" is "Tell me a joke", or some variation of that. As an aspiring comic I've noticed something else. If I tell someone that I am trying to get into comedy, even as a matter of polite conversation, they assume that every other thing I say thereafter is an attempt to make them laugh.
If these scenarios have ever occurred in your life, how do you deal with them? Do you try to avoid the subject altogether?