Why Humor Theory?

Some scholars look for universal grammar. I look for universal humor. Certain joke structures have survived through thousands of years, which is pretty darned cool.

I know this sounds dangerously close to the dread practice of explaining jokes. But to me, having some experience in both theory and practice, knowing about humor theory is like knowing about wine — it just allows you to appreciate the final product all the more.

I tell anyone who’s interested to read Sol Saks’ Funny Business: The Craft of Comedy Writing. A longtime jokewriter and creator of Bewitched, Saks knows what he’s talking about, and he “scoops” most scholarly theory, with the added bonus of phrasing things much more simply than a professor would. He also gives entertaining and helpful writing advice throughout the book. I highly recommend it to aspiring writers in any genre.

But, if you want to get a little more into “sophisticated” ideas, the fact remains that philosophers have tried to explain humor for thousands of years, and can’t agree on a single theory.

For instance, many people think that humor comes from hostility. This isn’t true. Some humor is hostile, sure, but it’s not the best explanation for most instances.

Most theorists lean towards the “unexpected” theory these days, and I tend to agree. The beauty of this theory is the infinite ways it can play out, from a punchline to an unexpected opinion to a heretofore unthought-of turn of phrase to the precise timing of a good standup to the juxtaposition of words, ideas, sounds, or images.

Good humor makes the most unexpected, yet paradoxically logical, connections; that’s why the wordplay of great jokes is just as delicate as a line of poetry. And often, the joke creates an a connection that, while unexpected, has its own reasonable point to make — then places that logic instantaneously into another person’s brain. Pretty impressive as a phenomenon.

Great humor is what turns pain into pleasure — the “alchemy” of Richard Pryor or Lenny Bruce. That’s downright miraculous, psychologically speaking, and something we should all be grateful for.

So that’s humor theory in a nutshell. Oh, sure, I can give you references to article after article, and I will if you want. But really, it’s about playing with the ideas.