Skip to content
The Critical Comic
A Critical Discussion of Stand-Up Comedy.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • What I Do

Tag: verbal irony

Humor Theories/Stand-Up Comedy/Theories About Jokes

Parodic Satire

Posted on July 22, 2017 by nwilson

I need to continue with Lewis Black’s 2006 Grammy nominated HBO special, Red, White and Screwed. Black meanders through several topical and social bits, e...

Humor Theories/Stand-Up Comedy/Theories About Jokes

Parody

Posted on July 21, 2017 by nwilson

Two voices Parody is another form of humor that is frequently conflated with verbal irony. In Gary Saul Morson’s read of Mikhail Bakhtin, parody is distinguishe...

Cases and Current Events/Comics Talking Shop/Humor Theories/Stand-Up Comedy/Theories About Comics

David Misch on Five Jokes

Posted on July 13, 2017 by nwilson

In his article for Splitsider.com (7/6/2017), comic, critic, writer and teacher David Misch brings up five jokes to make a point about authenticity in comedy: L...

Humor Theories/Stand-Up Comedy/Theories About Jokes

Ironic Satire

Posted on July 7, 2017 by nwilson

I’m still talking about Bill Maher’s 2007 HBO stand-up showcase, Bill Maher: The Decider, where, after greeting the Boston crowd, Maher begins with ...

Humor Theories/Stand-Up Comedy/Theories About Jokes

Problems with Satiric Irony

Posted on July 5, 2017 by nwilson

I’m still talking about Bill Maher’s 2007 HBO stand-up showcase, Bill Maher: The Decider, where, after greeting the Boston crowd, Maher begins with ...

Humor Theories/Stand-Up Comedy/Theories About Jokes

Satiric Irony and Litige

Posted on July 4, 2017 by nwilson

To continue with Bill Maher’s 2007 HBO stand-up showcase, Bill Maher: The Decider, I’ve indicated the part after he greets the Boston crowd, where M...

Humor Theories/Stand-Up Comedy/Theories About Jokes

Satire (and Litige)

Posted on July 3, 2017 by nwilson

In his 2007 HBO stand-up showcase, Bill Maher: The Decider, after greeting the Boston crowd, Maher begins with a critique of President George W. Bush.  Only 50 ...

Humor Theories/Stand-Up Comedy/Theories About Jokes

Irony: Traditional Verbal Irony

Posted on July 2, 2017 by nwilson

Irony has been studied since at least Classical Greece.  There are a few different types of irony, including dramatic irony, where the words or actions of the c...

Theories About Audiences/Theories About Comics/Theories About Laughter

Comic Intent II: Getting it

Posted on June 28, 2017 by nwilson

My problem with a number of different theories is that they assume certain elements of intentionality, which I’ve discussed before as assuming the comic&#...

Recent Posts

  • The Portland Frog & Friends
  • Take 5! Fall of American Democracy Edition
  • Kenneth Burke’s Representative Anecdote & the Cult of the Kill
  • Kenneth Burke’s Identification and Consubstantiality
  • Kenneth Burke’s “Definition of Man [sic]”

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • October 2025
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017

    Categories

    • Big Theories
      • Argumentation Theory
      • Dramatism
      • Postmodern Theory
    • Humor Theories
      • Theories About Audiences
      • Theories About Comics
      • Theories About Funny
      • Theories About Jokes
      • Theories About Laughter
      • Theories About Spaces
    • Humorous Politics
      • Humorous Protest
    • Ramblings
    • Stand-Up Comedy
      • Cases and Current Events
        • Comics in the News
        • Comics Talking Shop
      • Doing Stand-up

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    Contact us!

      © 2026 The Critical Comic
      Powered by WordPress | Theme: Graphy by Themegraphy