analysing backwards does show how the elements get put in place (or can be better chosen/placed).

But being picky, which is IMNSHO the purpose of the OP, Seinfeld is an example of an assemblage of jokes. And that points to the essence of context. A given joke depends on what came before, and also what follows. And factors that can sometimes be predicted - like the make-up of the audience, which may be one person.

American humour has facets that UK audiences find less appealing, it is cultural and even in the UK we have expressions like Northern Humour. My take on it is that America is multilingual, UK has dialects and a lot of humour needs implied understanding - euphemisms, homonyms, homophones, malapropisms etc. Jokes don't always translate.

And I would bet - if we knew some of the back story, the Roman ant joke might be even funnier. Emporor's or government nickname for instance (wild guess).

Anglo-Saxon joke
What is the cleanest leaf? Holly.
Implied knowledge (obvious once it is pointed out) - when was toilet paper invented?