The Non-Bona Fide Mode

Humour, though less ruthless than its cousin ‘ridicule’, by its very nature (often subtle and deceptively benign) can unintentionally backfire if too ‘close to the bone’.

There are many ways that people use humor. It has been used both in positive and negative ways. The negative, or more aggressive, view of humor is “evident in ancient writings” and “in the merciless teasing that children inflict on one another.”, However, in modern times, humor is now commonly seen as a positive aspect and that the laughter that arises is the “expression [an] incongruity.” Because of these two conflicting view of humor, there have been multiple theories proposed to explain it.

Attardo believes that "there are two kinds of jokes (…) on one side, we have referential jokes, and on the other, we have verbal jokes. The former are based exclusively on the meaning of the text and do not make any reference to the phonological realization of the lexical items (or of other units in the text), while the latter, in addition to being based on the meaning of the elements of the text, make reference to the phonological realization of the text." (1994, p.

Humor’s foundations are made up of seeds of truth, from which comedy and laughter can grow from. Within these seeds different types of issues are found that cast a wide array of topics in which are discussed or given question to by humorists. As the evolution of humor continues to grow it can be seen that it will continue down a darker road, as history has

Richard Pryor once said, “There’s a thin line between to laugh with and to laugh at” (A-Z Quotes). Leon Rappoport, a professor at Kansas State University, believed in the same thin line as Pryor. Rappoport received his BA and MS at New York University, and completed his PhD in 1963 at the University of Colorado(Kansas State University). He studied psychological sciences, and concentrated his studies in decision making and human judgment, even writing a book called Punchlines: The Case for Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Humor (Kansas State University). In another book, The Sword and Shield Metaphor and Other Perspectives, Rappoport claims that humor depends on how the audience receives humor. The audience can either be on the side of the audience that is getting laughed at, or they can be on the side of the audience that is laughing with other people.

People always say that laughter alleviates tension. If this is the case, then it makes sense that the use of humor when discussing uncomfortable topics can make the conversation easier and more light-hearted. One of Mark Twain’s most frequently used devices in works such as “Advice to Youth”, “To the Person Sitting in Darkness”, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is satire, which can provide society a method to bond over uncomfortable topics, and facilitate the ability to sustain that bond through an easier way to create discussion.

Explain the how the concept is relevant to explaining the rhetorical function of the parody.

For Kathy Griffin the idea of being indicted for a joke is unbelievable, provoking the method of palilogy in the conference. Griffin repeats her career as a comedian

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.

Unless the writer is very aware of how to create tone in their messages the reader may not catch on to the joke, and a conflict will quickly arise.

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

Comedy is an integral part of our daily lives and routines. It can be as simple as telling a joke to our friends to as complicated as a political cartoon depicting a satirical image of a president committing a crime. However, according to author Alain de Botton, comedy is a conduit that is used to express ideas that society is not generally willing to propound in public. It is clear that the role of humorists is not only to humor an audience, but also to provide a channel for the expression of ideas that are not necessarily ones that we would say to the public, making their role crucial to the functionality of society.

Do you think of yourself as funny, humorous or a joker of sorts? Many people feel they have what it takes to bring humor to different situations. Usually humor is used to lighten a mood or attitude and often makes people feel happy. Understanding that humor can play a very important role in speech enhance the awareness of the proper means and tactics in which to use humor. Persuasion often includes various forms of humor where the person trying to persuade intertwines the humor effect and brings lightness to the situation. Persuasion is the attempt to make others believe or comply with the speaker’s views or actions and adding humor often enables the audience

Some humor advocates say that comedy must be able to region free, and that joke about out differences, weaknesses, eccentricities

Humor is viewed by some people as an important part of life. Most people enjoy amusement, and some turn to humorists as a source for that amusement. Some further view humorists as holding an important position in society because society allows humorists to say things that others can and will not say. Due to their unique position in society, humorists serve a role that is certainly unique and can be important, but not vital. Furthermore, humor can very well have a dangerous side, whether intentional or unintentional, so humorists should try to be careful with their powerful position.