Comedy Theories

Humor most definitely is an instinct that evolved to serve some purpose in everyone’s lives. There is a meaning The story, What Makes Us Laugh by Leon Rappoport thoroughly analyzes the different theories in people’s reactions of humor. Rappoport discusses how certain jokes succeed and fail, why we laugh when we don’t think we should, and why sometimes we might not react to humor. I found this part quite interesting when he was saying certain people react with either boredom or fascination, with boredom being more prevalent. Personally, I would be captivated in this analysis of theories because not only is it interesting, but it also teaches one further about humor than one would not expect, especially the theory of superiority.

For example, it can draw attention to important points. David Sedaris utilized comedy to present his material in a unique way that will draw the reader in. His material was appropriate to the interests of the audience. When he asked, “Why refer to Lady Crack Pipe or Good Sir Dishrag when these things could never live up to the things their sex implied?” (Sedaris 220), he successfully evaluated the majority of his audience, a well-educated audience. Given the author’s purpose, his anticipated audience can relate to his jokes. It can make the reader ask that very same question, emphasizing his larger argument. Additionally, long pieces can hold a person’s attention longer with humor. People are more inclined to read on to the end and get the full benefit of the writing. When facilitated well, humor can effectively comment on normally serious topics like education. Cartoons can also convey humor and facilitate a point. In Roz Chast's What I Learned, the artist used especially effective written and visual text to humorously comment on her own experiences in education. She learned that “if you swallow gum, your guts get all stuck together” (Chast 244). Though silly, this made her more relatable to the audience. The purpose of comedy is to make writing more interesting and in some ways more relatable. When discussing nonfiction, elements of humor utilize techniques commonly found in fiction. These include plot, characters, and

“Humour is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement.” The term Humour has been derived from the Greek language, which teaches that humour is the balance of fluids in the human body. Humour is savoured by different taste-buds like: Anecdotal, Blue, Dark/Gallows/Morbid, Epigrammatic, Hyperbolic, Ironic, Satirical, Satirical, Situational and Slapstick. Franz Kafka, the author of the outright existential classic ‘The Metamorphosis’ uses depressing humour to deal with the bitter deathly truths of life.

Don't we all have something in common? Well that's just how comedians have an effect to communicate a universal truth with their audience. Whether if its confusion, sickness, frustration we all have something that we can relate to and that is how comedians use this effect because we can relate to that feeling or subject. That's how a comedian can communicate a universal truth to us by using humor.

Throughout time, humorists have been able to pull off a phenomenon, which allows for others to laugh about sensitive, stressful topics. With talent, humorists are able to captivate positive emotion from their audience and allow for society to see delicate issues in an unbiased view. Although humorists are commonly seen as people who only intend to entertain, humorists purposefully say things through their work that allow for hard issues to be spoken or illustrated.

“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious” -Peter Ustinov. Comedy is used in everyday life. It is a way to slip in the truth while decreasing the blow. Comedy allows the hard things to hear, to be said in a way where it is not so hard. The truth can be hard to hear sometimes but comedy uses comedic tactics to slip in the truth that is hard to hear, but needs to be said, into the world. In the excerpt from Live right and Find Happiness (Although Beer is Much Faster) by Dave Barry, is a high comedy excerpt that uses the comedic tactics sarcasm and situational irony to express the truth about growing up and how to live right in a funny manner.

When I first think about why I have a passion for comedy, I think of it as being powerful and special. It is one of those things that can unite people. Laughter doesn’t discriminate, it doesn’t matter your ethnicity, religion, political opinion, etc., this is what I believe makes it so captivating. With humor you can as least for a little while forget about everything going on around you, regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the situation. It is a way for us to keep our sanity and gives us the opportunity to come together and put serious issues aside or be able to look at those issues in a less hostile manner. Laughter is one of those things everyone can appreciate, and should have a healthy amount of

“Theories of humor often suggest that humor requires a perceived violation, or something that disrupts people’s sense of how the world ought to be” (McGraw and Warren 2010).

Humor is viewed by some people as an important part of life. Most people enjoy amusement, and some turn to humorists as a source for that amusement. Some further view humorists as holding an important position in society because society allows humorists to say things that others can and will not say. Due to their unique position in society, humorists serve a role that is certainly unique and can be important, but not vital. Furthermore, humor can very well have a dangerous side, whether intentional or unintentional, so humorists should try to be careful with their powerful position.

Laughter can be an instinctive expression of lively amusement although we don’t usually realise the offence of the joke we are laughing at. Tamara discusses modern satire and its position in humanity.

In Jenny Allen's essay "The Trouble With Nature" humor is utilized in order to entertain the reader and inform them, and let them know that in nature no matter what you try to dodge and ignore there is always going to be something else. This is because nature goes as it pleases and there really is no boudaries or rules that it has to go by.

Humor has entertained and enthralled audiences for all of recorded history. Everyone enjoys a good laugh, but what exactly makes something humorous? It could be tension that is released in an unexpected and positive way. It could be the discussion of subject seen as taboo. Humor could also just be the enjoyment of other’s misfortunes.

Alain de Botton states that humorists is not only to entertain its readers, but to convey a deeper meaning that is “dangerous or impossible to state directly…. which serves a vital function in society”. Alain de Botton is right! Humor is an important part of society because it freely brings light to topics that are often ignored in society.

Humor is found across the world to make people happier, but humor can also contain some deeper meanings. Whether it's in a skit, film, or even cartoon, humorists quite often hint at more mature topics. Serious topics are easier to talk about when they are surrounded by humor.

Philosophically, humour has been explained with the superiority theory, the relief, and incongruity theory. Superiority theory suggests that humour and ridicule are often used against an adversary as by joking about someone, we establish our superiority. This theory suggests that laughter helps us to establish superiority. The Relief theory suggests that humour is a form of relief of the nervous system and laughter acts as a valve and helps in relieving the pent-up nervous energy.