Humor Research – Understanding Comedy
What makes a funny statement, phrase or poem? What makes people smile when they hear it? What makes a good comedy script? When you look at the list of adjectives people use to describe a funny line, you get a long list of possibilities. Words like stupid, hilarious, awesome, wacky, stupidly and many more.
Funny things may be about anything. So, what is so funny about puns. The word merry. It has to do with joy and happiness. Synonyms and other words used to describe similar thoughts.
Other funny things are about the bad luck of others. When someone gets hurt, we cry. But, sometimes we put up with it and laugh at the joke. When people sayings make you laugh, some bad luck sayings can be very funny. A few bad luck sayings are, ‘It’s too bad he didn’t have a bigger car’, and ‘I think she might be pregnant’.
Real-life funny situations can also be funny. They can be about real-life problems. When you take a bath in the morning, what is funny? Some people might say it is the sight of bubbles, but, for others they are funny because they are from real-life. It’s the sense of humor people have about these situations. We can all laugh about the things that are in our lives and this is where the humor comes in.
Humor is usually accompanied by another feeling, one that is often referred to as being in the right place at the right time, or great timing. Sometimes it is the right choice of words and sometimes it is a matter of how the joke is told. Sometimes there is an incongruity between the intended meaning and the actual one. This can lead to the situation that leads to humor.
Sometimes we get ourselves into situations that are funny, but are also indicative of incongruity. These incongruities lead to the situation we were in the first place and can lead to comedy, which is an art form. There is no reason why a joke cannot be funny if it has the ability to bring out the incongruity that exists in us. If this happens it becomes a form of art form and has become a norm violation.
A perfect example of this can be seen in how many of us see more words with the same meaning in a season episode of television. We have all seen the classic TV shows “The Office” and “Seinfeld” and so on. In these shows, there are a wide variety of characters who all say similar things, but only one or two of them can be seen as being funny. When this happens the show is not only funny, but it is also indicative of something more. It is a sign that the audience can identify with whatever is being said.
I would like to point out that humor research is necessary if you are going to pursue humor. The Internet will give you access to funny things that others have said, but they can also come from other sources. I have often seen things said online that I would not have thought about as funny. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on your point of view. But regardless of what you use to gauge the funny factor, remember to look for things that make you laugh and understand what is being said in order to enjoy the comedy value of a funny story or joke.