Satire and the Problem of Comic Laughter (original) (raw)

Enter Laughing: American Humor Studies in the Spirit of Our Times

Studies in American Humor, 2013

As the new editor of Studies in American Humor, I welcome readers to the next phase of the oldest journal devoted to humor scholarship. I offer these remarks about the future of the journal and the field, and invite StAH readers to join me in reflecting on the theoretical, methodological, critical, and historical work needed for American humor studies to flourish today as a field that adds in significant ways to understanding American culture. Here I raise two concerns to start the discussion: theory and community. I feel keenly that our field needs new theoretical paradigms to guide our research and hope that the community of readers and contributors to this journal will rise to the challenge. “Enter Laughing: American Humor Studies in the Spirit of Our Times.” Studies in American Humor 3rd ser. 28 (2013): 1-15.

LAUGHTER: AN ESSAY ON THE MEANING OF THE COMIC

Bergson's thinking typifies a peculiarly Gallic tendency to rationalize the apparently ephemeral and subjective (in this case, humor), discussing it in exquisitely rarefied language in order to assert that which defies common sense (a funny hat is not funny, laughter expresses no emotion, no one laughs alone) but partakes nonetheless of a logical inevitability. Laughter, first published in 1911, clearly draws upon the early years of European modernism, yet also prefigures the movement in some ways. In recognizing the comic as it embodies itself in a "rigid," absentminded person, locked into repetitious, socially awkward behavior, Bergson--even as he looks backward, primarily to Molière--seems to be spawning the sophisticated visual and physical comedy of Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd.

Philosophy of Humour and Laughter – a critical analysis

2020

I will focus on the 'playful attitude' factor Morreall briefly landed on and integrate it with a deeper explanation of how play and humour are intertwined with Morreall's' own theory on humour, which I do agree with. So, basically, this thesis will try to deepen Morreall's theory with the works of his critics. Superiority Theory Superiority theory by Plato The term 'superiority theory' of humour was coined in the 20 th century but it has been around since Plato and Aristotle were walking the earth. The general idea of this theory is that humour, and its subsequent laughter, express a feeling of superiority over others or over a former state of ourselves. 1 This view does not seem so nice, and some would argue that this theory of humour caused a bad reputation of laughter and humour in general. 2 The superiority theory was the leading theory of humour from Ancient Greece up until the 18 th century. 3 Though this theory seems outdated, I would argue it can still be seen today. Most evidently in so-called 'cringe' or embarrassment humour. This type of comedy employs jokes to make the audience feel embarrassed, or even cringe, at what the characters are doing to elicit laughter. 4 Plato does not appear to have been a humorous kind of man. He looked around the agora and reached the conclusion that people laugh at the vices of other ignorant, relatively powerless people. This type of humour is still very effective and popular, the successes of television shows such as Fawlty Towers (1975-1979) and more recently the American version of The Office (2005-2013) attest to the idea that the superiority theory might plausibly explain contemporary examples of humour and laughter as well. Superiority Theory by Thomas Hobbes Considering that laughter and humour persisted over the ages, it seems safe to assume that not everyone held this view. This is difficult to assess, because not a lot has been written about humour by philosophers in the past. One old philosopher who had, however, was Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes largely agreed with Plato, and even strengthened this position in his own political-philosophical ways. Hobbes' view of laughter was that it was an expression of