Post by Grape on Mar 2, 2011 22:31:24 GMT -5
It comes so naturally for people to make jokes and laugh about things, but what are the MECHANICS behind all the daily laughter we experience?
What DRIVES humor and how can we use our newly found knowledge to improve our own humors?
These are the questions you should keep in mind while reading this piece.
Every single humorous situation that has ever existed contained these elements:
- Purely intellectual rather than emotional
- Entirely human, reminds of us humanity
- Must be able to be compared to the dominating social norms
- Must not focus on sympathizing pain or harm
Purely intellectual rather than emotional
Although we may experience the emotion of joy and laughter when we experience funny things, these are simply the effects. The CAUSE of these effects are completely intellectual, meaning they involve one's use of logic rather than feelings.
Even the simplest, crudest forms of humor like for example a fat child screaming like a little baby girl over a ladybug involves one's intellect. Our minds have to process the fact that what is happening is completely abnormal. Emotions can't do that for us, our minds do.
So one must focus on presenting humor to people's minds, not their emotions.
Entirely human, reminds of us humanity
This too focuses on the social aspect of humor. There are social norms established in every culture, and there are human norms that almost every human being shares. Humor works off of deviating from such values. Most of the time by deviating from social norms, but in certain "high level" cases actually shows irony BY exaggerating social norms, affirming them tooo much, and thus deviating from our deeper HUMAN values.
(think Oscar Wilde's humorous criticisms on Victorian society or talk shows that make fun of America)
Must be able to be compared to the dominating social norms
Well... you know this by now since it's been mentioned in the above two parts.
Must not focus on sympathizing for pain or harm
Sympathy is emotional, and the first rule listed in this piece is NOT to focus on emotions. When one sees a video of an extremely fat girl rolling down the stairs, it is usually funny because it is very strange and pathetic. However if the presenter was to focus on how much actual PAIN the girl was in afterwards, if the presenter let the audience know that the girl was permanently paralyzed afterwards, then the joke would "go too far" because it's been tainted by emotions.
These are the very basic requirements of humor. Enjoy.
What DRIVES humor and how can we use our newly found knowledge to improve our own humors?
These are the questions you should keep in mind while reading this piece.
Every single humorous situation that has ever existed contained these elements:
- Purely intellectual rather than emotional
- Entirely human, reminds of us humanity
- Must be able to be compared to the dominating social norms
- Must not focus on sympathizing pain or harm
Purely intellectual rather than emotional
Although we may experience the emotion of joy and laughter when we experience funny things, these are simply the effects. The CAUSE of these effects are completely intellectual, meaning they involve one's use of logic rather than feelings.
Even the simplest, crudest forms of humor like for example a fat child screaming like a little baby girl over a ladybug involves one's intellect. Our minds have to process the fact that what is happening is completely abnormal. Emotions can't do that for us, our minds do.
So one must focus on presenting humor to people's minds, not their emotions.
Entirely human, reminds of us humanity
This too focuses on the social aspect of humor. There are social norms established in every culture, and there are human norms that almost every human being shares. Humor works off of deviating from such values. Most of the time by deviating from social norms, but in certain "high level" cases actually shows irony BY exaggerating social norms, affirming them tooo much, and thus deviating from our deeper HUMAN values.
(think Oscar Wilde's humorous criticisms on Victorian society or talk shows that make fun of America)
Must be able to be compared to the dominating social norms
Well... you know this by now since it's been mentioned in the above two parts.
Must not focus on sympathizing for pain or harm
Sympathy is emotional, and the first rule listed in this piece is NOT to focus on emotions. When one sees a video of an extremely fat girl rolling down the stairs, it is usually funny because it is very strange and pathetic. However if the presenter was to focus on how much actual PAIN the girl was in afterwards, if the presenter let the audience know that the girl was permanently paralyzed afterwards, then the joke would "go too far" because it's been tainted by emotions.
These are the very basic requirements of humor. Enjoy.
