Superiority Theory In Reflections Upon Laughter

Superiority Theory In Reflections Upon Laughter
Superiority theory was therefore confirmed by the superior members of society refraining from
laughing. In "Reflections Upon Laughter," Hutcheson argued against Hobbes's claim that the
essential feature of laughter is expressing feelings of superiority is. If Hobbes were right, claims
Hutcheson, there can be no laughter where we do not compare ourselves with others or with some
former state of ourselves and whenever we feel "sudden glory," we laugh. But neither of these is
true. We sometimes laugh at an odd metaphor or simile, for example, without comparing ourselves
to anyone. Not only are feelings of superiority not necessary for amusement, Hutcheson argued, but
they are not sufficient, either. We have feelings of superiority toward people ... Show more content
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Unlike the superiority theory which aims at social reform through the emotional side of humour,
incongruity theory aims at social reform through the cognitive side. The cognitive juxtaposition of
contrary interests and attitudes is the key to comedy in Bernard Shaw. The slum dwellers and
landlords in Widower's House, romantic and realistic attitudes to war in Arms and the Man, external
polish and internal instincts in Pygmalion provide comic juxtaposition and create humour with
satire. This approach was taken by James Beattie, Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, Arthur
Schopenhauer, and many later philosophers and psychologists. It is now the dominant theory of
humor in philosophy and psychology. As Robert Latta and others have pointed out, the words
"incongruous"and "incongruity" are used sloppily in many versions of the theory. The dictionary
says that incongruous things are "characterized by a lack of harmony, consistency, or compatibility
with one another." Congruere in Latin means "to come together, to agree." In geometry, congruent
triangles have the same shape and size; one fits exactly over the other (104). Paul McGhee's uses the
term incongruity "interchangeably with absurdity, ridiculousness, and the ludicrous." McGhee offers
a second definition of incongruity: "something unexpected, out of context, inappropriate,
unreasonable, illogical, exaggerated, and so forth."(10). The core concept in incongruity theories is
based on the fact that human experience works with learned patterns. Most of the time, most
experiences of most people follow such mental patterns. The future turns out like the past. But
sometimes we perceive or imagine a thing whose parts or features violate our mental
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Examples Of Humor In Finding Nemo
Humor can change the mood of any story. For example, try to guess the movie with this description:
A widowed father's only son is taken away from him, so he and mentally challenged women try to
find him. This movie is Finding Nemo. When audiences think about Finding Nemo, they don't think
about it like that, even though that's what the movie is actually about. Audiences perceive the story
as a light–hearted and funny kids' movie, when the main plot of the movie is dark. This is true of
many humorous stories, as well in the comedy plays written by Shakespeare. The British poet used
humor wisely in his plays. He used comedy as a diversion from the dark and somber parts of his
stories. He also enabled audiences to laugh at circumstances that violate morals. Through distraction
and seemingly inappropriate jokes, Merchant of Venice exhibits how Shakespeare uses humor to
make his audiences laugh at the misfortunes in his comedy plays. Though the research wasn't
compiled then, Shakespeare fundamentally understood what makes people laugh. Distraction is a
major element of comedy, and there are two elements of distraction that apply to most of these
stories. One is a distraction from the story itself, leading audiences to forget that a scene is serious
by adding a joke or some funny occurrence, or distracting audiences from a main plot point in ...
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Remember while examining this story that although Merchant of Venice doesn't seem amusing to
audiences today, it was for original audiences (McEvoy). Today people might not consider Antonio
to be comical, but back then he displayed an element of anti–comic humor. That's because Antonio
is a melancholy character who constantly announces about how depressed he is (Tiffany). Antonio
says in the first

Anatomical Theory Of Disease Essay
In this paper I am going to discuss the differences between the Humoral concept of disease, the
anatomical theory of disease, the germ theory of disease and the differences between each theory. I
am also going to look at the historical significance of these theories and how they apply to health
and wellness in today's health care. The humoral theory comes from an ancient Greek theory that
states that the human body is composed of four basic humors. The Humoral theory is derived from
the word "humor," but in this context, means "fluid". The Humoral theory is related to the theory of
the earth and the four elements. These elements are better known as earth, fire, water and air. The
balance in these earthly elements allows the earth ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The fundamental concept of this theory states that microorganisms can invade the body and cause
certain diseases or even death. Before this theory was accepted many people believed that a disease
was a punishment for a person's evil behavior not a medical problem. These three theories differ
because they all covered different barriers when it came to treating and understanding diseases. The
Humoral theory began with the four–elements and the anatomical theory allowed us to take a deeper
look into the functioning of the bodies systems. This helped us to learn what was happening in the
body, in the body systems and in the organs. Without these two studies we would not have come to
the Germ Theory. Even though each theory is different in concept each theory was important and we
would not have been able to progress along to the next theory. If we would not have had the germ
theory we would not have discovered the need for vaccines or discovered antiseptics. These theories
also allowed physicians to learn to look at diseases on a micro (small scale) instead of just a macro
scale or "big" picture. I feel that these theories have led to significant changes in health care over the
years. These theories have allowed scientist to discover not only how to cure some disease but also
how to prevent diseases from spreading. Scientists were able to develop vaccines, antiseptics, create
personal protective equipment and enabled the public

South Park Satire
Humor is an integral part of our everyday lives providing us with laughter, enjoyment, relaxation
and a sense of relief. Today, humor and laughter are universally accepted; however, not all humor is
treated equally, leaving room for interpretation of what is funny. Early theories and beliefs about
humor suggest that humor was cruel and was at the expense of another human being. However,
early beliefs could not explain all forms of humor and why humor occurs in many contexts. The
development of new theories pushed the boundaries and immensely expanded the complexity of
what makes something funny, its psychological effects, ethical issues and how humor is used in
social contexts.
Many of the theories developed are commonly portrayed in ... Show more content on
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is currently experiencing through humor. The first example with Caitlyn Jenner unexpectedly
running over a person references the traffic collision she caused that resulted in the death of one
person. While completely exaggerated and unexpected, it falls in line with the incongruence theory
in which humor will manifest itself in the strange or unexpected. However, many early philosophers
could argue that it is cruel and unusual because it is at the expense of another person. Nonetheless,
its underlying message is on how prominent celebrity figures are basically able to get away with
murder and be admired at the same

Mechanical Humor Theory
Although movies are meant to transport people to different worlds, with drama, action, suspense and
humor. The movie " As Good as It Gets" is a great example of the Bergson's Mechanical Humor
Theory. This movie is about Melvin and Simon, whom are neighbors and Melvin dislikes his
neighbor and his dog, but grows into loving him. Melvin is a very rude person, but starts to change
his attitude throughout the movie.The theory discusses three main components consisting of being
strictly human. Secondly, it discusses it being purely cerebral and lastly the theory indicates it to be
a social function. "As Good as it Gets" depicts all three of these main ideas because it deals with
humans and how they laugh at one another at each others expense. In addition, it specifically
demonstrates how cognitively our minds catch humor subconsciously and third it's part of our social
construct. Everyone has humor inside of them and is a reason why there is always something to
laugh at. When it comes down to what people do or the way they behave. It was very funny when
Dr. Bettes ordered some tests for Spencer and expected back the results the same day. Spencer has
congestion in his lungs which causes him to barely breathe. Usually, it takes a few days to get results
back from a lab, but it was very funny how the doctor wanted results back on the same day because
it takes time for the results to process. Humans always have something to laugh at. In this movie, the
main character is Melvin

The General Theory Of Verbal Humor, And The General Theory...
Raskin proposed Script–based Semantic Theory of Humor (SSTH) in 1985 to apply linguistic
semantics to humor research; because of its linguistic nature, SSTH could only deal with text, i.e. it
was limited to verbal humor (Raskin, 1992). This theory included two parameters of Language and
Opposed Scripts. It was then revised and extended into the General Theory of Verbal Humor
(GTVH) by Attardo and Raskin (1991) who added four more parameters to the first two; as a result,
the General Theory of Verbal Humor comprised of six parameters or Knowledge Resources known
as KRs. These KRs are introduced as Language (LA), Narrative Strategy (NS), Target (TA),
Situation (SI), Logical Mechanism (LM), and Script Oppositions (SO). Recipient of verbal humor ...
From social psychology point of view, every individual in a society belongs to different types of
groups such as racial, nationality, religious, age, occupation, etc.; and they need to share
characteristics, values and beliefs with other members of the group to establish a society with
structure and order; these perceptions, representations, or impressions of groups are labeled as
stereotypes (McGarty, Yzerbyt, & Spears, 2002).
Davies (1982) proposes that social and geographical as well as moral (acceptable and unacceptable
behavior) are the two sets of boundaries that distinguish between insiders and outsiders to a group.
Our interpretation of how a person acts may be originated in one's membership in a certain group;
this interpretation might also affect our behavior or reaction toward that

Theories Of The Four Humors
Christianity's framework stemmed from the Judaic religious faith and transformed into one of the
most widely practiced religions in the world. According to Ferngren, by the year AD 60, Christianity
was a rising new religion founded by Jesus of Nazareth, who is believed to be the Christian
Messiah. He was put to death at the hands of those who opposed His religious teachings by
crucifixion, and on the third day after His death, He rose from the dead. As a result, Jesus cemented
Christians' faith in His teachings by bringing them hope. During His time on Earth, Jesus preached
many of God's ideas to his disciples, one of which included healing the sick (Ferngren, 2014, pp.73–
74). To understand the basis of healing, it first must be understood ... Show more content on
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Due to many different interpretations through translation of scriptures, there are many different
viewpoints of disease etiology and healing. For this reason, not all Christians believed in the same
methods of healing or even how these diseases came about (Amundsen, 1982, pg. 1). Amundsen
states that some Christians saw naturalistic as the ultimate cause which contrasted other beliefs that
the naturalistic approach was inferior and saw that supernatural powers were the ultimate cause of
disease. This shows that Christians were influenced by both personalistic and naturalistic etiologies
on disease and health. In summary, although in Christianity not all scriptural texts are translated
exactly the same, there is the overlapping viewpoint among Christians that God is the ultimate
healer and through Him, disease comes as a result of sin (Amundsen, 1982, pg.

Contemporary Rhetorical Analysis Of ' The Telos '
Contemporary Rhetorical Theory– Fall 2015 Rui Zhang Submission Date: 2015/12/02 *All the
works below for the exam are done independently. No cooperation or discussion with anybody else.
1. Williamson is an example of genus deliberativum. Deliberative genre is used in forum or speech
to persuade the audience to do something or believe in something in future. Williamson's speech is a
typical deliberative genre. He makes the speech on a public forum to persuade voters to agree the
marriage bill amendment, and his telos is to take advantage of this–to persuade more people support
his policy. The content is an uncertain decision about future. He provides several reasons to support
his idea so his activity is basically exhortation and persuasion. 2. The telos in Williamson is the
advantages that he gets more voters supporting his policy after his speech. The telos in SAIH is
about the honorable. SAIH clip is a genus demonstrativum. It makes a sarcastic retort to reflect the
present situation that some western people who called themselves "volunteer" are not really helping
Africa. Thus the clip is to blame this situation. 3. He violates Commandment 4 the relevance rule
that standpoints may not be defended by non–argumentation or argumentation that is not relevant to
the standpoint. In his speech, he argues the fire burning eternity sentence on a letter he received.
However, this is not relevant to the marriage bill. There no relevance to his argumentation that
support the marriage

Mean Girls Is A Teen Comedy Film
Deciding what is most important in life is often a struggle, especially during high school. Mean
Girls is a teen comedy film loosely based on the self–help book titled Queen Bees and Wannabes.
The main character is a high school student named Cady that just moved from Africa and has been
homeschooled her whole life. The American culture and society she is introduced to is embodied by
the Plastics, who are the most popular girls at North Shore High: Regina, Gretchen, and Karen. The
pressure put on Cady by society causes her to struggle to decide what her priorities should be. Mean
Girls criticizes the traditional notions of femininity that are expected of women, as they are not
required for them to be successful and accomplished.
Consider the scene when Cady first goes to Regina's house, closer to the beginning of the movie.
During this scene, the Plastics collectively walk up to a mirror and start stating what they dislike
about their bodies. The fact that the Plastics, who are supposed to be the most popular and attractive
characters in the film, are pointing out flaws on themselves induces feelings of superiority, because
even they aren't perfect. The superiority theory as described by Rappoport suggests that this is
humorous because feeling superior to someone, even subconsciously, causes pleasure and laughter.
Putting down the supposedly "perfect" characters causes the viewer to feel gratification as it may
cause a boost of their ego. This scene is also incongruous for a

Definition Essay On Humor
Humor is not something new to us. In fact, the use of humor is as old as the use of communication
itself, and just like language, it has undergone some phenomenal changes thanks to our cultural
differences. Many factors such as age, personal experience, geographic location and even level of
education play a part in our use of humor. A simple joke one person from one area may find
hilarious could get completely different results from someone from somewhere else. Whether or not
someone finds a joke amusing is ultimately determined by their interpretation of the joke. Since our
interpretations are filtered by a cultural context, our culture is a major factor on how humor is used
around us. This paper is designed to look at these variances in order to better appreciate humor and
diversity across different cultures.
Whether a specific culture prefers satire, sarcasm, slapstick or irony, humor is as diverse as the ...
There is less emphasis on ironies; therefore, our humor tends to be more open and displayed. Also,
we enjoy a style of humor that involves exaggerated physical expressions and actions. We tend to
use more physical and sexual humor, and our jokes are more obvious and to the point. We can
occasionally use sarcasm in our jokes, but it tends to be more subtle and rare. Practical jokes, wise
cracks and pranking are very common but not to the extent of injury.
The Relief Theory of humor often comes to mind since a lot of American humor involves sexual
jokes, religion, politics, and ethical differences. According to Martin (2007), the Relief Theory
involves using humor to relieve tension to feel more comfortable, The Jokes often serve as an
avenue to test the waters in order to ensure that it is acceptable and release the tension. Examples of
some of our most famous comedy include: Saturday Night Live, The Three Stooges, Woody Allen,
Jon Stewart and Adam

Gender, Gender And Gender Stereotypes
There are multiple examples and instances where the object of a joke has something to do with
gender and gender stereotypes. These types of jokes seem to take center stage at any comedy
performance or routine, and the audience loves it. Gender in association with humor brings up a
great deal of questions. Do males and females see humor differently? Are there any similarities in
the way the sexes view humor? And is there any truth to the thought that humans enjoy crass humor
more than other types of jokes? These questions have been popping up in the scientific world, and
researchers are trying to answer them. Even though there have been studies conducted, it is still a
new field with much more potential. A series of studies examines three age groups. These studies
were named under, a developmental test of the disposition theory of humor, which were conducted
by Paul Mcgee and Sally Lloyd. These studies observed three age groups and their preferences of
humor. The age groups included children, college aged teens, and middle aged professional people.
At the age of two children start to understand humor for themselves and do not just mirror their
parent's smiles. So does the gender of the child depict their sense of humor? The children in this
study were between the ages of three and seven, this also shows how early on humor preference is
introduced. The jokes were presented to the children in the form of drawings. Taken from the text;
"The pairs included the following

Summary Of Humorous Complaining
Another study that the researchers found relevant to this research is the one conducted by McGraw,
Warren, and Kan entitled Humorous Complaining (2015). The study focuses on complains with
humor, it uses the benign violation theory. The study explains that although complaints document
dissatisfaction, some are also humorous. It introduces the concept of humorous complaining and
draws on the benign violation theory–which proposes that humor arises from things that seem
simultaneously wrong yet okay–to examine how being humorous helps and/or hinders complainers.
Further, in contrast to the belief that humor is beneficial but consistent with the benign violation
theory, humor makes complaints seem more positive (by making an expression of dissatisfaction

Humor, An Extensive Language Of Amusement Through Humor
Imagine a vast concert hall filled with people. The audience excitedly clamor in anticipation for the
main star of this event. The event they paid so much money for, cleared up time in their schedule
for, spent time getting to the event for. As the lights dim, the spotlight shines on the center stage.
Then an average person emerges on the stage with a thousand eyes' on him. He only has with a
microphone in his hand. Just a typical person, with a normal gait and normal sense of fashion.
However, after speaking a few words in the microphone, the crowd bursts into a cacophony of
laughter. No matter how ordinary or extraordinary the person, entertainment through humor is
universal. Utilizing humor, an extensive language of amusement, to open perspectives and challenge
what is conceived right or wrong can be impactful– if done correctly. Dave Sedaris accomplishes
that goal when he uses humor to illustrate his dilemma because of his identity. Despite being an
accomplished successful comedian, author, radio show host, certain people look down at him as just
a homosexual freak. Rather than gravely addressing his opposition, Sedaris utilizes a jovial yet
relatable anecdote called "Chicken in a Henhouse". Incorporating ideas from Ardian Bardon's "The
Philosophy of Humor", specifically, the three theories of humor: superiority theory, incongruity
theory and relief theory, Sedaris argues that the American public stereotypes homosexuals as
pedophiles and ,as a result, they feel

Comparing Paster's Humoral Theory
Within humoral theory, the body is understood to be comprised of four humors: black bile, yellow
bile, phlegm and blood. Gail Kern Paster describes the long–standing importance of humoral theory,
writing (8). Compare and contrast the idea of the body as a "semipermeable, irrigated container" in
two texts covered in the course. Relate your analysis of the two texts to humoral theory. In
Renaissance Literature, the body has been interpreted in different ways. Renaissance writers
understood the body as consisting of four humors: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Gail
Kern Paster states in '"Civilizing the Humoral body"' that "every subject grew up with a common
understanding of his or her body as a semipermeable, irrigated container ... Show more content on
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However, in Elizabethan drama, men played all roles, which meant that female experiences and
emotions were not allowed to come to the fore. (Paster) The effect of humoralism is influenced by
how the body is constructed due to social interactions in the external world. Paster allows for a
contemporary perception of the body. She uses the body as a representation of how people feel and
how they express these feelings through body language by outlining "the difference humoralism, or
any other influential account of human physiology, makes to the subjective experience of being–in–
the–body and thus to such matters as the inescapable...experience of bodily shame" (Paster 3) In The
Body Embarrassed, Paster argues that the body can be seen as "semipermeable, irrigated container"
because the impact of humoral theory distinguishes between a social and physical body which
connects the experience from within the body with the outer body. This means that the individual's
emotional experiences are shown by the external depictions and perceptions of their

Self Defeating Humour And Self Esteem
Self–defeating Humour and Self–esteem: a Correlational Study
Dan Luo
University of Western Ontario
Self–defeating Humour and Self–esteem: a Correlational Study
In the literature of humour, it has been seen to have positive effects on well–being, physical and
psychological health. A greater use of humour has been correlated with a better quality of life.
(Martin, Kuiper, Olinger & Dance, 1993). Humour is an important way for us to cope with stressors,
negative emotions and depression. Psychotherapy and counselling has used this positive relationship
to help patients (Martin, 2007). On the other hand, some research has shown that different types of
humour may be negatively correlated with well–being (Martin, Puhlik–Doris, Larsen, Gray, & Weir,
2003). Different dimensions of humour have adaptive and maladaptive affects on humour.
Humour is a multi–faceted phenomenon, involving emotional, cognitional, behavioural, social and
physiological responses. Humour may be conceptualized as the tendency to laugh, ability to make
others laugh, or the willingness to use humour as a coping mechanism. A sense of humour refers to a
stable personality–trait related to the perception and production of humour. (Martin, 2004).
Recently, much of the literature on humour has viewed humour as beneficial to health. Martin,
Kuiper, Olinger and Dance (1993) conducted a meta–analysis of several studies on the relationship
between humour and well–being, humour and

Comedy Theories
According to the Oxford dictionary "Humor," is defined as: The quality of being amustic or comic,
especially as expressed in literature or speech, but what truly makes something funny? Comedy has
been around for hundreds of years; as it is being examined four concrete theories have been
developed to understand the idea of comedy: Superiority, Relief, incongruity, and Benign Violation
theory. The conception of comedy has been around since the dawn of man; Aristophanes wrote
comic plays dating back to 425 BCE, but as time progress so does comedy. The jokes and comics
we see today have changed drastically since then, and have evolved into a new style of humor.
Comedy is used by writers, playwrights, and everyday people to make life more enjoyable and cause
the greatest feeling to man... Laughter. The first theory otherwise known as Superiority theory, is the
idea that people laugh at the misfortune of others. When people make a group of peers laugh it adds
a sense of, "sudden glory," to a person and allows people to feel dominant. The bases of superiority
theory is people thrive for dominance and can use laughter to win dominance by getting everyone to
admire or follow a person; by seeing someone else have a joke played on a person makes people feel
better or superior. According to "Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy," "this theory holds two
claims: the strong claim holds that humor involves a feelings of superiority, and the weak claim
suggest that feelings of superiority

Chicken In A Henhouse Sedaris
They own the Rainbow A Humorous analyzes on homosexuals stereotypes When writing about a
serious topic, authors often tend to add humor to their stories. According to Adrian Bardon the
humor in a story is defined by different theories such as superiority, relief and incongruity. They
usually do this to because they don't want to create too much of a tension to the reader or to make
the writer or situation less threatening. In "Chicken in a Henhouse" Sedaris' uses humor to help him
prove his argument that homosexuals are negatively stereotyped. Sedaris uses of humor can be
described by the use of the superiority theory to make the reader feel better or superior; along with
the relief theory to break the tension caused by what has been said. ... Show more content on
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According to Barton "The relief theory is the view that humorous laughter is a manifestation of the
release of nervous, excitement or emotional tension."(91) In other words a writer uses the relief
theory to break the tension one has created in their writing. When Sedaris went into the elevator and
was in there alone with little boy he said: "We were alone now, and something unpleasant entered
my mind. Sometimes when I'm in a tight situation, I'll feel the need to touch somebody's head". This
is an example of the relief theory because Sedaris was saying something serious. When he says
something unpleasant entered my mind" we can infer that he did wanted to do something that he
shouldn't to the little boy. Then when he says "I feel the need to touch someone's head" he broke that
tension. This is effective because the tension that he has created to the readers is that he is thinking
about doing something bad to the little boy. To release the tension he had created he then says that
he needs to touch his head. This relates to the argument because people think that all homosexuals
want to do is touch little boys, I'm sure that it crossed all of the readers minds when they first read
the lines in which he says something unpleasant entered his mind. To even make it more clear that
he is not a pedipphile he talks about his problem about touching. Not knowing that

Laughter In Medieval Medicine
The expression, "laughter is the best medicine," may be more true than many people think. Even
medieval medicine centered on humor. However, the humor of medieval times did not just come
from the court jester; and, even then, people knew humor was important to their health. One curious
fact is that the word humor in medieval times was tied "to the four fluids of the body –– blood,
phlegm, choler, and black bile" (Krsywicka). The people believed all these should be in balance in
the person as well as in their physical world (Cameron, qtd. by Krzywicka). Today most people do
not associate humor to body fluids, but they do associate it with laughter. As medicine has advanced
over the years, doctors have continued to study "the humors" of then, ... Show more content on
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Most often as people age, life happens, and their social world changes; therefore, so do their sources
for humor. Thankfully researchers observed that less humor led to a less enjoyable life. One
particular study of "laughter therapy" done by Kuru and Kublay showed positive outcomes in
nursing home residents. The National Cancer Institute defines laughter therapy as one that "uses
humor to relieve pain and improve well–being. It may include laughter exercises, clowns, and
comedy movies, books, games, and puzzles." Kuru and Kublay concluded that "[a]fter the laughter
therapy intervention, general and subscales (physical functioning, role–physical, bodily pain,
general health, vitality, social functioning, role–emotional and spiritual health) quality–of–life
scores of residents in the experimental group significantly increased in comparison with the pretest."
If nothing else, this conclusion should motivate nursing home administrators to incorporate some
type of laughter or humor therapy into the daily schedule of their

Laughter And Bharatamuni's Hāsya Analysis
Bergson's Laughter and Bharatamuni's Hāsya: A Comparison
Theories of humor preceding Henri Bergson's (1900), those of, Thomas Hobbes (1651), Francis
Hutcheson (1725), James Beattie (1779), Immanuel Kant (1790) and Arthur Schopenhauer (1818)
through, desultory dialogues, mark the inchoate evolution of humor studies; broadly recognized as
superiority theory, incongruity theory and relief theory. The psycho–sociological aspects are,
however, ignored wholly or partially. Bergson is, arguably, the first to place laughter in a social
context and elaborate its structural, pragmatic and performative elements in Le Rire: Essai sur la
signification du comique (1900); Freud's psychological autopsy of the joke follows in 1905 .
Henri Bergson's methodical ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Bharata's description of ten kinds of rupakas (dramas), expounds on Prahasana and Bhāṇa which are
comic genres. Prahasana is farce and manifests as gossip, slanderous rumour, hypocracy or comic
disputations by saints and Brahmins. Bharata divides hāsya into six forms based on events and
presents its dynamic range: 1. smita (gentle smile), 2. hasita (slight laughter), 3. vihasita (open
laughter), 4. upahasita (laughter of ridicule), 5. apahasita (obscene laughter) and 6. atihasita
(boisterous

A Project On My Capstone Project
For my capstone project I decided to create something that I have never done before. Fiona, Nadia,
and myself had an idea to write a funny play script. A few weeks ago, the three of us sit together and
had a conversation which lead us to such an idea. We were talking and sharing some of our
experiences which related to creativity and art that we had before. Theatrical show or drama was not
something new for both Nadia and Fiona, but it was completely new for me. However, with almost
no experience in this field of art. I felt like this could be the challenge that I need to do for my
capstone project; I have to step out of my comfort zone and expand my creativity as I challenge
myself with this task.
We would like to demonstrate our understanding of how humor works and what knowledge that we
have learned this piece. Since the project itself was finished by more than one people, the majority
amount of time that we spent in the whole process was mainly for brainstorming and sharing ideas.
This short play which is about 10 minutes long is the first script that I have ever wrote. Before I
really jumped on and started this project, I did not know that writing a script could be this
complicatedly time consuming yet fun at the same time. The complexity and the confusion that I had
been exposed to require myself umpteen hours of reading and researching about how to write a
funny play script. Being able to deliver and write something that people would find funny is
essential that I

Human Body In Ancient China
Every human body varies in shape and parts, but in general, an individual's body is remarkably
similar to another. In terms of contemporary Western medicine, the human body share alike
anatomy, such as organs and tissues. However, medical traditions in China and Greece viewed the
human body much differently than contemporary Western medicine. In particular, traditional
Chinese medicine is primarily based on the philosophical ideas of Yin–yang （陰陽）and the Five
Phases（五行） theory; likewise, traditional Greek medicine revolved around the notion of the
Four Elements and humoral theories. Rather than regarding the human body in terms of anatomy,
the Chinese's and Greek's knowledge of the human body derived from their respective concepts. In
traditional ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In order to remain or become healthy, an individual must contain a balance of yin and yang within
the body. This can be achieved through one's regime, adaptation to the environment, and even a
calm mentality. If there is an imbalance of yin and yang, then the individual is sick, or prone to fall
sick. As Elizabeth Hsu states it, "[disorders in Chinese medicine] were often explained by reference
to disharmonic dynamics: 'yinyang have no intercourse'..." Therefore, physicians of traditional
Chinese medicine considered patients' yin and yang in their diagnosis and urged them to maintain a
balance of yin and yang. An excess or a deficiency of either yin or yang, which creates disharmony,
could ultimately lead to unpleasant symptoms of serious diseases. Physicians could identify these
disharmonies utilizing the four examinations: looking, listening and smelling, asking, and touching
of the pulse. During the examination, they could identify the patient's disease, and "an individual
sign or symptom may point to a particular organ or to a quality of disharmony...Disharmonies
always involve imbalances of Yin and Yang. For clarity, the Yin–Yang archetypes are often broken
down into sub–categories: Deficiency and Excess, and Hot and Cold." In other words, the use of yin
and yang in diagnosis was important for physicians to identify

Humor In Atardo By Attardo
The first chapter of the book by Attardo, which includes a review of important theories of humor,
allows a reader to realize quickly that definitions of humor as much as humor itself are full of
ambiguities. Humor has been studied by linguists, psychologists and anthropologists. Hence, this
concept has been regarded from many sides and many its aspects have been discovered.
As much as bilingualism, humor has been defined in its strictest sense as something that elicits
laughter and in a less strict sense as something that amuses or is felt to be funny and can elicit even
a smile (Attardo)
A researcher who is interested in humor should be ready to face the challenge of identifying it and
being subjective. One of the traps of humor, mentioned ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to this theory the first laughter was a triumphal laughter of a winner who felt superior to
someone else. From this perspective it will be interesting to observe code–switching or its lack in
examples of disparaging humor. Given that code–switching has social functions of inclusion or
exclusion, creation of distance or expression of sense of community and solidarity (chapter), the
language choice of a speaker and code–switching in humorous interactions can have an important
effect on humor perception by other participants. For instance, teasing someone in the language
which represents the sense of community between both speakers will be perceived friendlier and
less aggressive than the opposite situation in which the speaker uses disparaging humor in a
different

Humor And Humour Of The Picture Of Dorian Gray
On why humour is about power, control and the balance of intellect and emotions
In ancient times, humour or comic was strictly censored. In places like Greece and Egypt, jokes
were even forbidden in social situations. Considering the almost taboo nature of humour, it 's hardly
surprising that humour never received particular attention from ancient scholars. Plato was averse to
humour as jokes and sarcasm were not encouraged and men and women were expected to be serious
rather than frivolous about all issues. Some ancient scholars went to the extent to argue that humour
could lead to sarcasm, disrespect, vulgar or volatile discourse and finally anger, resentment and even
murder.
Despite this, there is some interesting anecdotal evidence ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
A recent example of humour gone badly is the case of Charlie Hebdo. The magazine has been under
repeated attacks as their humorous cartoons on Prophet Muhammad and on the aftermath of Italian
earthquake were considered in bad taste and insensitive. The concept of humour has been
anthropologically tied to the aggressive and mocking behaviour of apes. However, historically
humour has been linked with a type of play so humour is primarily applied to situations that are
comic. However, laughter has often been associated with scorn, mockery, and sarcasm.
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.
The relief theory is a popular theory in philosophy and is congruent with the Freudian theory of
humour as Freud argued that humour is the release of sexual energy and repressed unconscious
thoughts and emotions on hostility and sexuality are often given vent through laughter and jokes.
This means that if you feel sexually attracted to someone or feel hostility towards someone, you 'll
tend to joke to release some of that

Mcguillicutty And Greene's The Kids In The Hall
In comedy, a double act or comedy duo is a group of two people that have completely different
personalities, but are of the same race, gender, age, and ethnic origin. In most Comedy duos, one
person plays the role of the straight man, a serious, more realistic role. The other partner plays the
funny man, a silly, and unintelligent character. Generally, the straight man feeds the funny man with
jokes, intentionally setting up jokes so that the funny man can get the audience to laugh. In
McGuillicutty and Greene's comedy sketch "The Kids in the Hall", McGuillicutty plays the funny
man, while Greene plays the straight man. Interestingly enough, the roles reverse throughout the
comedy sketch, and the straight man creates the laughter, while the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The laughter is the release of this created tension, hence the title, relief. Sigmund Freud believes that
comedy comes from our natural impulses in sticky situations. This idea is found often throughout
the comedy sketch. If McGuillicutty and Greene didn't switch roles, then there would be no sticky
situations. The whole skit would roll smoothly, with correctly flowing jokes, and appropriate
laughter from the crowd. Since Greene chooses to not do the job of the straight man, McGuillicutty
is stuck in situations not knowing what to say, so he just repeats the joke and laughs at himself,
regardless if Greene finishes the joke or not. An adequate example of this is when the part about the
hunchback women comes up. McGuillicutty proceeds to try and make a joke, but Greene is more
concerned about the hunchback's actual health. McGuillicutty is thrown into an awkward situation,
allowing him to restate the joke, intentionally trying to get the audience to

The Theory Of Laughter And Humor
On average, how many times a day does the average person laugh? The internet informs us that the
average adult laughs seventeen times a day. While laughing is quite common, have you ever
considered the factors behind laughter? Three theorists– Hobbes, Freud, and Bergson– evaluate the
subject of laughter and humor. In the first few paragraphs of Hobbes' passage, he discusses how
people degrade those they dislike. He then explains how humans desire to rise above others so they
feel superior, making his theory known as the superiority theory. Hobbes believes that by human
nature, witty jokes does not always produce laughter; laughter can be evoked by misfortunes or
obscenities. The essence of superiority then becomes apparent. Hobbes reveals laughter as
hierarchical. Laughter is aroused when others have different intellectual or social statuses. Due to
the fact that men yearn to feel higher in their rank, men dislike to be laughed at; Hobbes states, "[it
is no wonder therefore that men take heinously to be laughed at or derided, that is, triumphed over]"
(66). An example that supports Hobbes' superiority claim is the popular phrase "ain't nobody got
time for that." This phrase originated from a video of a woman, Sweet Brown, whose house burned
down. This video evokes laughter because the lady comes from a lower class home and is now
homeless due to the fire; hence, people feel that she is inferior to them. In addition, Sweet Brown
talks in an uneducated way; this leads

Humor Definition Essay
What's wrong with this picture, and why does it seem odd–looking? It's that feeling when something
seems so wrong it's funny. It's that expression made about the absurdities, an interesting
phenomenon is called humor. Though it doesn't just appear out of the blue, it is the product of the
form comedy. Through comedy, humor can be expressed using different techniques such as sarcasm
and irony. All in all, the importance it serves in society acts as refuge from life's difficult challenges.
Without it, life would become dull.
To understand the mechanisms, it's best to firstly define the terms. So what is humor? Why do
people laugh about it? To be best described, it's a feeling of joy received usually in the moment, or
something that changes ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Sarcasm is one of the more common types of humor, typically the response to something that is
already obvious, and can be used to hurt or offend or can be used for comic effect. Irony is the
expression of an idea only to mean another, or something totally unexpected to what is already
known. An example could be expressed as 'a dentist giving out candy on halloween.' A pun is a form
of humor that takes a word's meanings expressed differently or creates a double meaning. For
example, a double meaning can be seen in the statement, "I really wanted a camouflage shirt, but I
couldn't find one." Self–deprecating humor is a form that exploits someone's weaknesses, but they
aren't afraid to show them in a comic sense. This kind of humor is used when something normally
avoided becomes a joke and gets brushed off by the victim of the joke. Finally, dark humor is a kind
of humor that touches on more morbid or offensive material. It's not a form that's used often, but
when utilized, its something so absurdly horrible that it becomes funny. For example, A man went
into a library and asked for a book on suicide, only for the librarian to respond "not gonna happen,
you won't bring it back." These among many other techniques are used in comedy all the time by
comedians and average joe's

Analyzing Scooter's Essay 'Made You Laugh'
Moreover, comedians/authors may change up their act when trying to appeal to a new audience and
possibly while using their knowledge of the theories of humor to spice up their comedy.
Furthermore, the article "Made You Laugh" contains a chart which lays out the usual comedic
preferences for different ages (equivalent to the different audiences an author may try to appeal to).
Essentially the chart says that young children favor slapstick comedy (physical humor), elementary
school children prefer puns (I didn't "sea" that coming), teens prefer humor that their authorities may
find rebellious ("you not my dad!"), and well–educated adults prefer satire (spending money for a
toy for a child only to have it broken and bought again, it's a cycle). An example of an author's
writing(s) appealing ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I was excited about having a pet, and I'd give the turtle a fun pet name like Scooter. But my
excitement was not shared by Scooter, who, despite residing in a tropical paradise, never did
anything except mope around. Actually, he didn't even mope "around": He moped in one place
without moving, or even blinking, for days on end, displaying basically the same vital signs as an
ashtray. Eventually I would realize–it wasn't easy to tell–that Scooter had passed on to that Big Pond
in the Sky, and I'd bury him in the garden, where he'd decompose and become food for the zucchini,
which would in turn be eaten by my dad, who would in turn go to New York City, compelled by
powerful instincts that even he did not understand, he would buy me another moping death turtle.
And so the cycle of life would repeat." In my opinion, I see that Dave Barry is trying to appeal to the
satirical preferences found off an adult.

Tina Ffey's Differences In Humor
Abstract
This article examines the gender and humor practices and strategies of female comedians, focusing
on Tina Fey. Through a content analysis of the 11 most popular YouTube clips featuring Tina Fey, I
argue that there are two apparent themes that occur in her work. Specifically, when Fey is
communicating with men she uses the incongruent theory of humor, and when she is interacting
with women the use of superiority/disparagement theory is apparent. These themes will help
illustrate the difference in humor styles that women use when interacting with different genders.
Introduction
Throughout comedy's past, there has been a cultural stigma about women not being funny. In 2014,
there was a documentary released called "Women Aren't Funny", which addresses the pernicious
reality of people discerning women, as not being funny. In this reality, comedy is a realm highly
male–dominated, which makes it hard for women to be seen as humorous. Despite the myth, there
are tons of famous and successful female comedians, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Sarah Silverman,
and Tina Fey. With that being said, there is a difference in the way men and women communicate
humor. There are varying communication styles and social protocols revolving humor, which are
imperative in the explaining ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Her success as a female comedian has expounded upon just being adored by millions of fans, but it
has also granted her numerous awards, including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Due to
her success, she uses many forms of humor when she acts and writes, which makes her so
successful. Currently, Tina Fey is one of the most high–profiled female comedians today, which
makes studying her work all more lucrative in viewing the humor styles of females (Laurzen 2012).
Yet to understand the myth, it is important to understand the certain styles of

Humor In Jon Scieszka's Story 'Brothers'
Humor, the "Universal language" some call it, and to some extent they're quite true. For instance,
just like any other language people can practice humor and perfect their proficiency in humor while
also spreading a message to an intended audience. Moreover, authors around the world have been
trying to master the art of humor have created their own unique flavors of humor by appealing to an
intended audience or by following the guidelines of certain theories about humor. These authors may
also use comedy to convey a theme or message; for instance, podcasts spreading a political idea or a
comedian realizing a flaw in society.
Moreover, comedians/authors may change up their act when trying to appeal to a new audience and
possibly while using ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
May it be political or a message about the true nature of those who are supposed to be evil. For
instance, a comedian by the name of Gabriel Iglesias once told a story about his trip to Saudi Arabia
during a special of his called, "Aloha Fluffy". Essentially, Gabriel was hired by a Saudi Prince to
perform in the capital of Riyadh. During his travel he learned about the culture of Saudi Arabia and
how different it was when compared to the U.S's. That's when Gabriel learned that the Saudis
weren't all bad people, unlike how the news portrays them as explosive maniacs. Of course he also
sprinkled in some jokes as well. In my opinion Gabriel's message was a good one. It simply reminds
people that you shouldn't just judge a group of people just from what you see of them on TV. You
should first talk to them and understand them before making your call. Except Trump, because he
doesn't deserve a chance (I say sarcastically). Additionally, comedians may also want to spread a
political message based on their opinion. An example of a comedian/author who uses comedy in
order to promote a political message would be Steven Crowder. In his blog, "Louder with
Crowder.com" he has a video that's essentially a parody of a town hall debate with Bernie Sanders
and Donald Trump. Furthermore, in the video, Trump and Bernie were asked a multitude of
questions relating to certain events in the U.S around 2016 or

The Purpose Of This Work Is To Explore Machiavelli’S...
The purpose of this work is to explore Machiavelli's political philosophy through the lens of discord.
In terms of discord, Machiavelli presents the two main rivals, who are the nobles and the people. He
sees the two different humors of the nobles and the people as the cause of discord. He observes that
conflicts caused by the two diverse humors create salutary effects. His praise of tumults has inspired
scholars not only to relate the notion of humors to the discussion of political freedom, but also to
find the origin of the Modern Republicanism in his political philosophy. Focusing on the irrational
cause of humors, however, existing studies have slightly overlooked rational causes such as idea or
reason or knowledge of political ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He also plays an important role in transforming detrimental results of discord to its salutary results.
In this dissertation, I will categorize the one man's characteristics into three features: tyrannical,
prudent, and deceitful. I will also illustrate how the one man manages discord, and even controls it
having with his three characteristics. The last question is associated with the relationship between
discord and regime. Conflicts take an important role in the creation of regime, its decline, and its
extinction. Presenting the connection between discord and regime, this work also explores the
regime types for which Machiavelli designs. In his preference of the republican regime, I will
present the distinctive features of Machiavelli's regime, which are tumultuous, rejuvenated, the
presence of the one man. Based on that, I will conclude that the presence of the one man is crucial in
terms of Machiavelli's regime. In the discussion of discord, there are two main contenders of the
nobles and the people defined. The one man is invisible in conflicts. However, his role is critical in
conflicts between them. Like an invisible hand, he involves in competitive relationship between
them by affecting the outbreak of tumults, its intensity, and its settlement. He also plays an invisible,
but important role in making Machiavelli's

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most of us have heard this joke numerous times and will admit to laughing almost every time. Why
is that, when we clearly know the answer to the joke? What makes this humorous? For a long time,
philosophers have been trying to figure out "What is humor". In this paper I will discuss the theories
that have come about; their strengths and weaknesses, and I will ultimately attempt to convince you
that humor cannot be defined in one philosophical theory. When I first enrolled in this class, I had
very little knowledge of philosophy and no prior knowledge about the philosophy of humor. I
always thought that philosophy was a competition between thinkers and their own ideas about
specific topics. I now know that philosophy is much more than that, and that much thought has gone
into the theories produced by philosophers. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, philosophy is
the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, and the nature and meaning of life (Marriam–Webster
Dictionary). The term "philosophy", in literal terms, means "love of wisdom", but in a more broad
term it is said to be an activity people take part in when they want to understand fundamental truths
about themselves, the world they live in, and their own relationship to the world and each other
("What is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Humor has a way of bringing happiness to someone in any situation, and because of this, I picked
the subject "Philosophy of Humor". I was curious as to what humor is, why it is what it is, and how
it brings joy to life. This subject would be something interesting and easy for me to learn. Little did I
know that any subject of philosophy is difficult to learn if you're not a natural philosophical thinker.
With that being said, I have found this subject, which I thought was going to be simple, way more
difficult and complex than I ever

Definition Of Coolness
It happens once again. The cliché never fails to rear its ugly head, as Plain Jain and her normal
friends watch the cool kids, with their nice clothes and fancy backpacks, roll down the block in a
new BMW. This scene seems to happen so often, and the result always appears to be the same: Plain
Jain and her normal friends are envious, and the cool kids roll along without a care in the world.
Then again, if you observe this scene more carefully, there is more content than most people would
suspect. It is possible that the roles are entirely reversed. The "cool" kids may be Plain Jain and her
normal friends, and the "uncool" kids may be stylish kids with loads of money. There is no official
definition of "cool" that gives legitimacy to their ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Then again, that may not be true. The root of coolness can be the exact opposite of the general
definition. Coolness may begin with self rather than others. Coolness can mean being comfortable
with yourself, smiling in front of the mirror, or being completely satisfied with your identity.
Everyone praises the supposed "cool kids" who run the school or flaunt their cash, but the "cool
kids" might be the most uncool people. They do not have any reason to be defined as cool. There are
no real world elements that give legitimacy to their coolness. Others must define their coolness, but
that coolness immediately dissipates when those others are gone. The ignorant public does not know
about the many hours dressing for style, the shopping for expensive clothes, and the sitting behind
closed doors. These "cool" people are not cool in these moments. They are simply servants to the
public, trying so desperately to impress the public eye that will easily turn a blind eye for the next
best piece of eye candy. There is nothing "cool" about spending your life trying to impress everyone
else when you have yet to impress yourself. At the end of the day, behind all of that makeup, behind
the nice cars, and behind all of that false sense of glamour, what is really left? Just an empty shell of
a person who has given his or her self for a fading

Psychology Of Humor Essay
Humor has a vital part to play in consistently life as well as in psychology and ethical subtleties.
Giggling humor and bitterness are all piece of obvious human conduct. Although the immense
majority worth humoring, philosophers have said little in regards to it, and what they have said is
usually discerning. Three conservative conjectures of laughter and humor are the most contributive
to the psychology of humor and are seen on taking a glance at comprehension humor as play helps
counter the usual complaints to it and uncovers some of its advantages, incorporating those it
conveys to level–headedness.
At the point when individuals are asked what is essential in their lives, they often specify humor.
Couples posting the attributes they prize in their companions for the most part put "sense of humor"
at or close to the top. Philosophers are concerned with what is essential in life, so two things are
amazing about what they have said in regards to humor. The main one is how little they have said.
From antiquated times to the twentieth century, the most that any well–known logician illustrated on
giggling or humor was simply a couple of critical talks leaving the most recognizable some piece of
humor in psychology to be comprehended and acknowledged . The word humor did not employ as a
part of its current sense of cleverness until the eighteenth century, we ought to note, that customary
dialogues were about delight or drama. Significant philosophers like Plato, Hobbes, and

The Superiority Theory Of Humor
There are many ways that people use humor. It has been used both in positive and negative ways.
The negative, or more aggressive, view of humor is "evident in ancient writings" and "in the
merciless teasing that children inflict on one another.", However, in modern times, humor is now
commonly seen as a positive aspect and that the laughter that arises is the "expression [an]
incongruity." Because of these two conflicting view of humor, there have been multiple theories
proposed to explain it.
There are two major theories in explaining humor. The first is the superiority theory. In line with the
past views on humor, the superiority theory takes on a much more negative, serious, and intense take
on how humor functions and why we laugh. The ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This theory focuses "more specifically on the cognition and [gives] less attention to the social and
emotional aspects of humor." The incongruity–resolution theory can be applied to many forms of
humor. One example is visual incongruities. We laugh when we see a young child try to act like an
adult around an even younger child. The incongruity is we expect the young child to still act
immaturely around the small child but does not. The resolution is that the young child is playing
make–believe or somehow trying to impress the younger child.
The second type of incongruity is through wordplay. Prime examples are puns. For example, George
Carlin said, "Atheism is a non–prophet institution." The incongruity is found in the meaning of non–
prophet and nonprofit. Atheism is known as the lack of belief or denial of a higher
being/God/religion. So, non–prophet relates to the meaning of atheism. However, non–prophet also
sounds a lot like nonprofit. In the pun, atheism is called an institution. Based off how prophet and
profit sound the same, atheism could also be considered a nonprofit institution. It is, in the pun, both
an institution that does not believe in God and an institution whose primary goal is not to make
money. Unlike the superiority theory, the incongruity–resolution theory makes it explicit that these
examples of humor are all in a safe environment or

What Makes Us Laugh By Leon Rappoport
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. I never particularly ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It justifies the difference in what we got and what we expected and analyzes our innate tendency to
be amused by scenes that are clearly absurd or contradictory. Incongruity is the foundation for all
the other theories and ends up overlapping with them when analyzing. I think for me certain jokes
just fly over my head if I am not concentrating and really trying to get the meaning, which is known
as the cognitive theory. Like it said in the reading after stating the Moses and Mount Sinai joke, "In
order to get the point, you would have to know who Moses was, what the Ten Commandments were
about, the meaning of adultery, and the fact that one of the Commandments forbids it (Rappoport
18). This is a perfect example that displays how certain jokes can miss us if you do not understand
the context behind it. The humor in jokes can depend on the environment you are in, the people you
are with, and your own mood and I feel like this especially pertains to me. For example, if someone
is making a racist joke that is inappropriate in the setting you are in, then the humor that was
supposed to be with it can be decreased due to the surroundings. In addition, if I am in a miserable
mood and do not want to be joked around with, nothing will seem humorous to me, but will instead
frustrate me

Gender Differences Between Women And Women
The inter–individual variability with gender and its connection to humor is probably one of the most
discriminating topics to talk about. Since forever, men and women are like opposites. Even though
men and women tend to get along with each other, it can clearly be see that there is a difference in
the perception, production, and utilization of humor (Lambert & Ervin– Tripp, 1998). Most often
our social structures are the areas that define the line between what men perceive to be funny as
compared to women. As commonly assumed, there are basics such as our biological make–up and or
genetic factors, but what defines the difference between sex and humor? (Aillaud & Piolat, 2012).
The topics being explored in this paper will revolve around individual differences of gender, as well
as, touching on sexist humor and rape and the effect it has on women.
In the study conducted by Aillaud & Piolat (2012), the researchers want to study the gender
differences between the perception of dark and nondark humor. They used four different
characteristics of humor which included, surprise, incongruity, comprehension, and funniness. Upon
reading this article I assumed that women would perceive nondark humor to be more humorous than
dark because of how women are portrayed to behave as and brought up in today's society. The
researchers hypothesized that men are more likely to enjoy aggressive and darker types of humor
than women who tend to rate dark humor as more incongruous but more

Humor and Persuasion
July 30, 2012
COM 323
Do you think of yourself as funny, humorous or a joker of sorts? Many people feel they have what it
takes to bring humor to different situations. Usually humor is used to lighten a mood or attitude and
often makes people feel happy. Understanding that humor can play a very important role in speech
enhance the awareness of the proper means and tactics in which to use humor. Persuasion often
includes various forms of humor where the person trying to persuade intertwines the humor effect
and brings lightness to the situation. Persuasion is the attempt to make others believe or comply with
the speaker's views or actions and adding humor often enables the audience ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Diffuse status characteristics include gender, race, degree of physical attractiveness, and education.
Characteristics that are valued or considered desirable, such as being male, white, physically
attractive, and well educated, confer high status." (Seiter 135) Often men, in my opinion, will try to
incorporate humor in their speech because they want to win over the audience and women will use
humor because they are nervous. Although

What Are The Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Incongruity...
7. Describe decker's weight judgment paradigm and what he found made people smile and laugh the
most. How did the results support his view of humor? (5 points)
Weights that appeared to be heavier than what the participants anticipated produced more humor
than the weights that anticipated would be least heavy. Decker was trying to prove that incongruity
generate humor with it having to be resolved, like other theories state. The rate of humor regarding
decker's study depended on the unpredictability. Moreover, this studied demonstrated how
unpredictable or unexpected things can produce more amusement or laughter. The reactions of their
participants were surprise and amusement.
8. Describe at least two of the shortcomings (weaknesses) of the incongruity theory of humor. (5
points) ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Moreover, incongruity is not the only element that is needed for producing humor. When experience
humor, incongruity is essential but not the sole purpose for producing amusement or laughter.
Incongruity theory implies that amusement or humor is funniest when the joke is unknown, a joke
that is a surprise, a shock. If the joke is predictable then it is not as funny. Another problem with
incongruity theories is that studies have been done demonstrating the opposite of the incongruity
hypothesis. Studies Have shown that people rated jokes that are known and not surprising as being
more humorous than jokes that are predictable. Lastly, the incongruity theory is not explained well
and

Humor In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray
On why humor is about power, control and the balance of intellect and emotions In ancient times,
humor or comic was strictly censored. In places like Greece and Egypt, jokes were even forbidden
in social situations. Considering the almost taboo nature of humor, it's hardly surprising that humor
never received particular attention from ancient scholars. Plato was averse to humor as jokes and
sarcasm were not encouraged and men and women were expected to be serious rather than frivolous
about all issues. Some ancient scholars went to the extent to argue that humor could lead to sarcasm,
disrespect, vulgar or volatile discourse and finally anger, resentment and even murder. Despite this
there are some interesting anecdotal evidence that humor was used as a means to express wit and
learning. Consider French writer Voltaire or even in relatively modem times Oscar Wilde and his
extremely witty characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray. These writers used wit and humor to
influence people, to stir emotions in their readers and their conversing abilities were fresh and
exciting. Humor typically has an element of shock and awe and readers or listeners are shaken
beyond their limits of self–control to burst into laughter. Uncontrollable laughter as related to humor
was against the strict moral laws of Plato. Even Aristotle seemed to believe in some restrictions on
humorous conversation. Humor was suited to a clown in restricted scenarios and serious self–
respecting men and women did

Superiority Theory In Reflections Upon Laughter

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