Humor

Humor is truly one of the finer arts to observe. It is also much easier to understand the concept of humor in the abstract than to actually partake in being funny.

To design a successful joke, one has to tell a story that builds tension, and then end the story in a way that releases tension in the form of laughter. The “story” can be only a few words long and very vague, such as the omnipresent “Why did the Chicken cross the road?” joke. The story is implied; the chicken, for some reason or another, was standing on one side of the road, and then it crossed. The tension is derived from the “Why,” and the answer, hopefully, releases the tension because it is something that is unexpected. Often, a joke’s “answer” is unexpected because it plays on conventional norms and would be inappropriate in any other circumstances; it exceeds boundaries.

Humor is often used in advertisements and Public Service Announcements. A funny ad that you talk about with friends is more likely to be remembered than a standard, “This is our product”-type ad. And, of course, the goal of any advertisement or PSA is to become imbedded in the subconscious of the viewer. Because of the easy access and set-up of accounts on websites like YouTube, the internet has allowed humor that would have been socially unacceptable in any other time period to flourish. Whether or not this is the beginning of a downward spiral in moral standards, or simply symbolic of how relaxed modern American and European culture has become “just as long as it’s funny,” is for the ‘experts’ to decide.

Here are a few humorous ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hFnUUzB218
Funny because it breaks a social norm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C50CWuRd_6U
Funny because it exaggerates an already exaggerated situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7nbmjkImHQFunny because it’s true…