Sigmund Freud’s Jokes part A. II. a. 1. The Techniques of Verbal Jokes – Condensation
This is the fourth of several installments on Sigmund Freud’s Jokes [Witz] and Their Relation to the Unconscious (1905; free eBook) – and the reacti...
Category: Theories About Funny
These theories try to tell us why something is funny.
Jerry A. Flieger on Freud’s Introduction
In The Purloined Punch Line, Jerry Aline Flieger picks apart Freud’s arguments, looking for consistency. She finds some problematic assumptions right from...
Sigmund Freud’s Jokes part A. I. b. – Introduction
This is the second of several installments on Sigmund Freud’s Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious (1905; free eBook) – and the reactions to ...
Sigmund Freud’s Jokes part A. I. a. – Introduction
This is the first of several installments on Sigmund Freud’s Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious (1905; free eBook) – and the reactions to i...
Tragedy Plus Time
In my analysis of Mike Birbiglia’s Thank God for Jokes, I included this blurb about how, in an off-hand way, Birbiglia mentions that “Comedy equals ...
Mike Birbiglia on Jokes
I’ve been a fan of Mike Birbiglia for a long time now, bought his merchandise, watched all his specials and both his movies (Sleepwalk with Me, 2012 and D...
Incongruity Theory
Incongruity Theory is based on Aristotle’s (and Cicero’s and others’) view of humor as derived from expectancy violation. Proponents of this view include James ...
Relief Theory
Sometimes called the “Tension Release Theory,” this is Freud’s (and others’) view that humor is derived from a release of pent up energy. More about the theory:...
Superiority Theory
Socrates/Plato’s (and others’) view of humor as derived from ridicule. The forms usually attached to this mode of humor are irony, parody, and satire, wh...
Humorous Modes
Today's update is on the three main theories that have emerged from philosophy, psychology and linguistics to explain humor (Berger; Meyer; Morreall; Raskin): S...