Humour And Nature Of Humour

Humorists are often seen as insignificant contributors of society. People consider humorists no more than just “entertainers”, willing to make fun of anything in order to make a crowd laugh, however, has the audience ever contemplated why humorists are the some of the only people who are allowed to critique anything that crosses their mind without consequences? Alain de Botton, claims the vital role of humorist is, “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” I agree with Alain de Botton’s claims, that humorists do hold an important role in society, which is far more than to entertain. They break the ice on delicate topics, communicating the messages to society. Political cartoons and the Colbert

In Alain de Botton’s book, Status Anxiety, he claims that a humorist’s purpose is “not merely to entertain, but to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” Humorists have more leeway when discussing controversial topics, thus they serve a vital function in society; however, humorists also have other intentions such as entertaining their audiences and earning revenue.

Humor has become manifested into nearly all aspects of the secular world. Whether it be in comics, writings, or television, some form of comedy is sure to be seen on a regular basis. It seems the world today depends on a good laugh every now and then, and Alain de Botton argued the purpose of this in his book Status Anxiety. He concluded that humorists are more than just a form of entertainment; They "convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly". These men and women are granted some degree of leeway to speak freely and candidly on ultimately any subject for the preservation of societal stability. Their representation of public sentiment results in the people feeling as if what they long to say is finally being heard on a larger platform. Humorists serve the vital role of being a true reflection of public opinion; however, they are not immune to

Through skillful manipulation of language, irony and wit, satirical texts seek to highlight humanity’s various vices and shortcomings, and in so doing comment on prevailing social norms and attitudes. , Political satire, in particular, seeks to elicit social awareness of the vices and foibles of political institutions, and through commentary that ranges from mockery to condemnation, provides insight into the internal machinations and moral and ideological ambiguity of politics. Rob Sitch’s 2008 mockumentary The Hollowmenexposes the clandestine nature of Australian politics where decisions are made based on nepotism and personal gain rather than for the greater good,

Successful satirist achieve a balance between amusement and criticism. discuss At its core the purpose of satire it to use amusement to expose humanity’s various vices and shortcomings, and in doing so critique the prevailing social norms and attitudes. Political satire, in particular, humorously engages with the responder to represent a comment on the vices and foibles of the political systems, through an insight in to the ethical ambiguity within the internal machinations of politics. Rob Sitch’s 2008 mockumentary The Hollowmen humorously highlights the clandestine nature of politics , where politicians devalue public merit in order to meet self-serving agendas .

Through the use of adynatons and juxtapositions Daniel O’Brien and M.S. Mason were able to portray the true meaning of the comedian community by explaining the use of political satire and the importance that serves. When comparing the work of the two authors, one notices how the use of the word comedian or comic is prevalent and prevails through the texts in order to talk to one another. They both define this word as someone who is able to poke fun at a given situation no matter where they are located, weather this was school for Bart Sampson or in a holding cell being interrogated by government agents for O’Brien. By poking fun they don’t just mean nice jabs at an opportune moment but they go as far as to mean parodying the whole political

Satire, or the use of exaggeration, incongruity, reversal, and parody to draw attention to and criticize the flaws of individual people or society as a whole, was used centuries ago and is still used today because of a satirist’s ability to creatively address issues they see. Throughout A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens effectively uses satire to encourage social reform in a society he saw was in dire need of it. Describing Darnay’s first trial, Dickens uses incongruity when comparing blue flies to the mob that has gathered to watch his trial. After the Attorney-General had stopped talking, “a buzz arose in the court as if a cloud of great blue-flies were swarming about the prisoner, in anticipation of what he was soon to become” (Dickens 69). A crowd of people is not the same thing as a swarm of flies, but by juxtaposing these two things, Dickens draws attention to the crowd’s tendency to act like a swarm of flies- obnoxious and unable to think for

Under the veil of humor, the dark truth is often revealed. Satire is a stylistic approach frequently used to showcase the disparities within society and the government. According to Mariam Webster, satire is defined as “a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish”. These disparities were highlighted through the filter of humor in both “Animal Farm” by George Orwell and the essay “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift. Satire can greatly influence one’s perception on global issues.

Furthermore, this behavior, exploiting and teasing others, only provokes and places both the satirist and innocent people in harm’s way, as encountered in France. The fact of the matter is, we live in a world consisting of , whom are willing to inflict pain and death upon others to force others to respect their

Beyond the humor, satire is not just entertainment. Satire is a vital function for a democracy and a way to approach taboo subjects, especially during times of crisis. Although many do not “get” satire or its larger purpose, it generates debate and conversation about subjects. Satire gives a reminder of the truth, it cannot mock what does not exist. Overall, the goal is to galvanize audiences to public debate, encourage critical thinking, and call everyone to question the status quo. Satire is not merely destructive, but constructive.

Secondly, scholar Linda Hutcheon (1989) is critical of Frederick Jameson’s and convincingly offers an alternative to his argument that postmodern parody is empty of any historical meaning. She aligns herself with Tom Folland’s 1988 literature on the re-appropriation of images in photography, which contends that exploiting familiar images de-naturalizes them and brings forth their politics because they are loaded with pre-existing meanings (44). Although Folland specifically refers to photography, it is important to note that photography is considered a form of art. Hutcheon furthermore defines parody as “doubly coded in political terms: it legitimizes and subverts that which it parodies (pp.101).” Describing parody as indicative of self-reflective

Today, comedy news shows are becoming progressively more popular, and in so, becoming a new source of information – which may, or may not, be a positive consequence. Most comedians twist the truth in order to connect to people and make them laugh. The article “A Serious Business: What Can Comedy Do?” suggests some comedians “use logic to make painful things make sense” (O’Hara 108). Satirical comedy acts as a relief mechanism in that it comforts people that may be wary about a certain subject, especially in the realm of politics. Similarly, Peter McGraw and Joel Warner discuss how comedy can act as a coping mechanism. The authors conclude that “activists all over the world have been using comedy as a form of political protest” (McGraw & Warner 147). Iain Ellis writes about how political satirists do more than just deliver jokes, they use satire “to expose, ridicule, and–implicitly–call for action and change” (Ellis 152). Ellis contends that comedy can make a difference by its constant presence in our daily lives. Socrates, Plato, and even shows like South Park believe that humor is a way to persuade others. One of the most effective expressions of humor to affect social change has been the inclusion of satire. Although humor often provides people a welcome escape from the burdens of their daily lives, the satirical comedy deconstructs social issues in various ways as a means to persuade the

Another type of political comedy that is often undervalued today is political cartoons. Prior to the television becoming a mainstream medium, political cartoons constituted the majority of political comedy. This power stemmed from the fact that political cartoons were often presented in print media, such as newspapers and magazines. As print media has fallen out of demand, however, political cartoons ceded their position to late-night comedy shows. This is not to suggest that political cartoons cannot exist in a TV-dominated society; rather, that a bit of its availability and power has been transferred to other media. Political cartoons still exist and have potential to alter viewers’ perception of the current political climate. In fact, some argue that the political cartoon has experienced a resurgence due to social media. One study phrased it like this: “Shared on social media, these cartoons created an impression of “déjà vu”, showing us the same metaphors again and again in a very limited space of time” (Bouko, Calabrese, & De Clercq, 2017). Not only do editorial cartoons still exist, their power has been augmented by the structure and nature of social media. Internet memes also constitute a section of this and will be discussed in-depth later.

As the common saying states, “a laugh has no accent”. Laughter from sincere humor is one of humanity’s greatest medicine. Its origin is as ancient as human gestures, and has transformed how one looks at the world. For example, ancient writers used this device to criticize societal norms. During Medieval Times, jokers made a profession out of this human characteristic. Humor survived up until modern times and is present in academia. A field that explores the manners in which humor makes an interesting presence is Anthropology. The focus of this paper will be based on cultural anthropology; specifically within the sector of art and entertainment; within the sub-sectors of humor, political experiences, and sincerity. Ethnography is a very broad focus that can be looked upon in many ways. The ultimate goal that ethnographers try to achieve by utilizing these methods is to come to an understanding of humanity. However, ethnographic studies are a means of subjective reporting with intent of being as objective as possible to avoid biases. By analyzing JL Jackson Jr.’s “On Ethnographic Sincerity”, and Erve Chambers’, “Thalia 's Revenge: Ethnography and Theory of Comedy”, there are many uncanny parallels that can be compared as it pertains to the definition of ethnography. While there are many opposing philosophies from both anthropologists, their views intertwine when they discuss the concepts of irony and comedy, the politicizing of experience, and sincerity in the field.

It is clearly seen that satire is effective for change in society and creating awareness of the wrong and injustices. Satirists use literary devices such as metaphors, sarcasm, and verbal irony to expose the ill. Within its layers, it holds deep and sincere meanings that are full of sadness. When ignorance and unconcern overrule a person, corrupt ways and thoughts are produced. Satire is used to uncover these people and create a change in thoughts and actions of individuals. The clever use of popular culture, humor, and much more appeal to people and conveys the deeper meaning within. Pieces of writing, videos, and other satirical sources smoothly incorporate messages through literary devices, humor, and ridicule to stimulate thoughts and