Theories of humor

The first of the three main theories of humor is the superiority theory. This theory can be basically understood by saying, “X is funny because it prompts apprehension of our superiority over others;” in other words, we laugh at something because we feel that we would handle the situation better. In Kingpin, the superiority theory explains moments of humor occurring when we – the audience - feel superior to Roy and Ishmael. When we see Roy after the destruction of his bowling career, we laugh at his inability to preform simple tasks. Particularly, when Roy pulls up to Lancaster Bowl, he has a series of mishaps that are humor because we feel as if we would not have handled the situation so poorly. Within a thirty second span, Roy manages to…

Violent humor floods our television screens. Many viewers perceive these aggressive scenes as humorous. Potter (2002) suggests, “The media continually and profoundly affect everyone, and when the messages are violent, people are at risk for a variety of negative effects” (p. 31). On the other hand, “audiences have also demonstrated some ability to resist the power of media representations and even to deconstruct various versions of violent reality,” (Barak 2003, p 192). Such debate remains…

thing in common, which is their rebellion towards societal norms. Sedaris was born in New York in the United States having a loving a rather large family. Meanwhile Trevor Noah, born in South Africa with his family, but born during an apartheid. They are in certain ways one of the same both comedians with humble beginnings and a personality that contrasts the norms given by society. What is Humor Theory? Humor theory Humor through situations is one important element that both authors grasps in…

calories, when in reality they did the opposite. This of course caused Regina to gain weight and all that fit her were sweatpants, which, in their group, were against the rules. As she got up and left the table, she ran into another student, who responded with, “Watch where you’re going, fatass!”. This is incongruous, as the person she bumped into was clearly much larger than herself. It is unusual that a fat person would be the one to refer to her that way, as it seems like they would be most…

they are, not from the theory of laughter itself. Back home in Juneau, AK I have a group…

underlines an inherent critical position of humanity: the gap between our physical selves and metaphysical individuality. Humor, it can be argued, is based upon “the return of the physical into the metaphysical, where the pretended tragical sublimity of the human collapses into a comic ridiculousness which is perhaps even more tragic” (Critchley, 42.) By critically examining the nature of our body and its natural reaction to alcoholic beverages, the cup causes the reader to briefly consider the…

The author Tina Fey in her excerpt Bossypants, uses comic irony, situational irony, and the incongruity theory of humor to reveal that negative experiences can result in positive outcomes. Throughout the story, comic irony was most evident in the people’s dialects. For instance when Tina Fey refers to the people that ask her about her scar just because “ it’s so beautiful” as “disgusting.” Usually when somebody sympathizes with you and calls a mark on your body beautiful you are grateful,…

• Personal anecdotes relating to the essay where add giving it humor and something to be familiar with. • My own humor was added to make reading the essay more enjoyable. Also, to have a chance at taking a risk by adding my own humor and learning how to do it. • To help summarize the essays a conclusion was added that summed both of them up and how they relate. Baker vs. Britt In “The Plot Against People,” Russel Baker illustrates how inanimate objects tend to disappear. Baker describes all…

As more and more people have realized the importance of role that humor plays in changing the society, people start to use humor as a tool to express their opinions and it turns out to be a very effective method because the possibility of people being convinced is higher than regular speeches. In the clip A Totally Real, 100% Valid Theory | Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Samantha Bee uses humor to convince the audience the fact that Donald Trump can’t read. The use of theory of incongruence…

Sense of humor is defined as the ability to perceive humor or appreciate a joke, in contrast styles of humor are defined as the style in which one chooses to tell a joke. Humor is a concept with various dimensions, which can portray different types of psychological traits. The Humor Styles Questionnaire is a self-report measure that assesses four dimensions relating to individual differences in uses of humor. These are: affiliate, self enhancing, aggressive, and self defeating humor. The humor…