Not because of the pronunciation, because of the grammar. For the pun to work, it has to be read both ways.
So, how hard is it to find a French baguette? “A real pain,” i.e. a drag, indicating difficulty. Or else, “A real pain,” i.e. emphasising the genuine nature of the bread we want – this interpretation fails if preceded by “It’s”.
A while back I thought of a (much less clever) joke that only works in text:
Do you know how hard it is to get an authentic French baguette around here?
It’s a real pain!
I… don’t get it.
It is French for bread.
Bread in French is “pain”
Change it to “A real pain” without the “it’s”?
Isn’t it because it’s pronounced “pan”?
Not because of the pronunciation, because of the grammar. For the pun to work, it has to be read both ways.
So, how hard is it to find a French baguette? “A real pain,” i.e. a drag, indicating difficulty. Or else, “A real pain,” i.e. emphasising the genuine nature of the bread we want – this interpretation fails if preceded by “It’s”.