Dick Jokes Vs. Sexual Jokes
Betsy Borns differentiates the dick joke from sexual jokes as based on “what makes the joke funny: if people laugh because the word ‘fuck’ is used, that’s a dic...
Tag: Relief
Relief Theory update
I’ll post updates as I encounter new comedy, theories or writing/blogs about either. So here’s one: Sarah Silverman references relief/release theor...
How to Write a Joke
Everything starts with the jokes. Until you’ve got material that consistently gets laughs, you’ve got nothing – and you need at least five mi...
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:...
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...
Bill Maher’s “N-Bomb” Wasn’t a Big Deal, But Neither Was It Funny.
Warning: “explicit language.” Bill Maher said the “N-word” (Bailey, DeMarche, Guerrasio, Italiano, Itzkoff, Kiefer, Lopez, Obeidallah, P...
Kathy Griffin Produced Art, and Art has Consequences.
I should begin by saying, I’ve never really been a fan. She had moments and jokes, and I’m always in favor of people who advocate for gender and sex...