Comments on: Everyday Humor (part 2) http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/ Self-Experimentation, Scientific Method, the Shangri-La Diet, etc. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:43:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Noumenon http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-93828 Tue, 25 Dec 2007 04:43:38 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-93828 Here's another theory of humor that might explain it -- <a href="http://www.tomveatch.com/else/humor/paper/node2.html" rel="nofollow">Link</a> Here’s another theory of humor that might explain it — Link

]]> by: Mike Kenny http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-91079 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:09:20 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-91079 In keeping with my view that humor is a way of venting tension after being surprised with something that isn't harmful, I'd say that the laugh comes from a sense that what she says has a certain shock because you don't expect someone to say something like that. There's confusion in you, and then you realize there's nothing wrong with this situation. I translate the interaction this way: "She ordered me to come even though I didn't want to, and I'm coming, even though I wouldn't if not compelled, and am, surprisingly, not showing the normal desire to maintain a certain level of easygoinginess during a social event, or deference to the wishes of the authority, the person ordering me here, by calling attention to how I was ordered, and don't want to be here.' Your mind initially thinks this, but then 'says' "Of course she's not saying that. Why would she?" and laugh at how the surprise, which could have been unpleasant (uncomfortable social interaction, possibly an argument) turned out to be a friendly exchange. Laughing releases the anxiety that popped up at the initial remark. Imagine if she had been serious about being ordered there! You might have laughed, then saw she wasn't laughing, and felt uncomfortable. The initial judgment of taking her serious would be correct. Laughing could be partially releasing tension, but also a means of signalling to others "I'm uncomfortable and really wish that whatever just happened that makes me uncomfortable be taken in the harmless way rather than in the unpleasant way." In keeping with my view that humor is a way of venting tension after being surprised with something that isn’t harmful, I’d say that the laugh comes from a sense that what she says has a certain shock because you don’t expect someone to say something like that. There’s confusion in you, and then you realize there’s nothing wrong with this situation.

I translate the interaction this way:

“She ordered me to come even though I didn’t want to, and I’m coming, even though I wouldn’t if not compelled, and am, surprisingly, not showing the normal desire to maintain a certain level of easygoinginess during a social event, or deference to the wishes of the authority, the person ordering me here, by calling attention to how I was ordered, and don’t want to be here.’

Your mind initially thinks this, but then ’says’ “Of course she’s not saying that. Why would she?” and laugh at how the surprise, which could have been unpleasant (uncomfortable social interaction, possibly an argument) turned out to be a friendly exchange. Laughing releases the anxiety that popped up at the initial remark.

Imagine if she had been serious about being ordered there! You might have laughed, then saw she wasn’t laughing, and felt uncomfortable. The initial judgment of taking her serious would be correct.

Laughing could be partially releasing tension, but also a means of signalling to others “I’m uncomfortable and really wish that whatever just happened that makes me uncomfortable be taken in the harmless way rather than in the unpleasant way.”

]]> by: Kai Carver http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-91009 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:53:04 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-91009 To me it's funny and clever because of the paradox: 1. I'll be enticed to go to a party where cool people are coming. 2. I'm a cool person. 3. She tells me I'm coming, so I definitely want to go. Sorry if my explanation isn't funny, but this is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk To me it’s funny and clever because of the paradox:
1. I’ll be enticed to go to a party where cool people are coming.
2. I’m a cool person.
3. She tells me I’m coming, so I definitely want to go.
Sorry if my explanation isn’t funny, but this is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk

]]> by: Montclus http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-87722 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:02:55 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-87722 In this case, it may not have been the quality of the joke, but the intended social interaction. See this article: http://discovermagazine.com/2007/brain/laughter/article_view?b_start:int=0&-C= In this case, it may not have been the quality of the joke, but the intended social interaction. See this article:
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/brain/laughter/article_view?b_start:int=0&-C=

]]> by: Seth’s blog » Blog Archive » The Softer Side of Blogs http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-87653 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:03:43 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-87653 [...] Everyday Humor (part 2) [...] […] Everyday Humor (part 2) […]

]]> by: seth http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-87627 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:09:22 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-87627 Good answer, David. I also think we find it funny when an adult is ordered around -- treated like a child. It is another sort of incongruity. Good answer, David. I also think we find it funny when an adult is ordered around — treated like a child. It is another sort of incongruity.

]]> by: David http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-87432 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:22:20 +0000 http://www.blog.sethroberts.net/2007/12/11/everyday-humor-part-2/#comment-87432 I think this is funny because using the word "entice" sets up the expectation that the first woman used persuasion to convince the second one to come. This is the kind of interaction we view as normal between friends. That expectation is violated when the second woman implied she was ordered to come, not persuaded. A lot of comedy seems to depend on setting expectations and then violating them. Now, why THAT is the case is mysterious. I think this is funny because using the word “entice” sets up the expectation that the first woman used persuasion to convince the second one to come. This is the kind of interaction we view as normal between friends. That expectation is violated when the second woman implied she was ordered to come, not persuaded. A lot of comedy seems to depend on setting expectations and then violating them. Now, why THAT is the case is mysterious.

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