![]() ![]() Many comedians have tackled this topic as well, focusing on how language is used in interracial settings and using it as an example of how relief can be funny.Ī comedy clip focused on interracial interactions gets some of its humor from the relief when a tense situation is resolved. ![]() For example, my own line of research deals with humor in interracial interactions and how it can be used to facilitate these commonly tense situations. ![]() The relief theory of humor stems from Sigmund Freud’s assertion that laughter lets us relieve tension and release “ psychic energy.” In other words, Freud and other relief theorists believe that some buildup of tension is inherent to all humorous scenarios and the perception of humor is directly related to the release of that tension.įreud used this idea to explain our fascination with taboo topics and why we might find it humorous to acknowledge them. In this case, the moose lost that competition. Charles Gruner, the late expert on superiority theory, suggest that all humor is derived from competition. Taking this theory into consideration, it seems like the retreating moose is the butt of the joke in this scenario. Thomas Hobbes also alluded to this theory in his book “Leviathan,” suggesting that humor results in any situation where there’s a sudden realization of how much better we are than our direct competition. It suggests that all humor is derived from the misfortunes of others – and therefore, our own relative superiority. It is the oldest of all humor theories: Philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato alluded to the idea behind the superiority theory thousands of years ago. But why is this funny? Superiority theory: Dumb moose The clip has been viewed on YouTube almost three million times, and the comments make it clear that many folks who watch it are LOLing. After a few feints with a large stick and several caveman-ish grunts by the man, the defeated moose retreats while the man proclaims his victory (with more grunting). The man stands his ground, causing the moose to stop in his tracks. The woman makes a sudden movement, causing the moose to charge the couple. To summarize: A man and his female companion are enjoying a pleasant day observing a moose in one of Sweden’s forests. Take the following video as an example of a funny stimulus one might use in humor research: Whether their reasons for studying humor were strategic (like some of Plato’s thoughts on using humor to manipulate people’s political views) or simply inquisitive, their insights have been crucial to the development of humor research today. From ancient Greece to today, many thinkers from around the world have yearned to understand what makes us laugh. To make predictions on how our funny materials will be perceived by study subjects, we also turn to a growing body of humor theories that speculate on why and when certain situations are considered funny. We often rely on pretesting – that is, trying out jokes and other potential stimuli on different samples of people – to give us a sense of whether they might work in our studies. Quantifying the perception of humor is paramount in ensuring our findings are valid and reliable. Why is it so funny?Īs a researcher who investigates some of the potential side effects of humor, I spend a fair bit of time verifying the funniness of the jokes, photos and videos we present to participants in our studies. Think of the most hilarious video you’ve ever seen on the internet. ![]()
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