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| anatomy of a joke: An Anatomy of Humor Arthur Asa Berger, 2017-07-05 Humor permeates every aspect of society and has done so for thousands of years. People experience it daily through television, newspapers, literature, and contact with others. Rarely do social researchers analyze humor or try to determine what makes it such a dominating force in our lives. The types of jokes a person enjoys contribute significantly to the definition of that person as well as to the character of a given society. Arthur Asa Berger explores these and other related topics in An Anatomy of Humor. He shows how humor can range from the simple pun to complex plots in Elizabethan plays.Berger examines a number of topics ethnicity, race, gender, politics each with its own comic dimension. Laughter is beneficial to both our physical and mental health, according to Berger. He discerns a multiplicity of ironies that are intrinsic to the analysis of humor. He discovers as much complexity and ambiguity in a cartoon, such as Mickey Mouse, as he finds in an important piece of literature, such as Huckleberry Finn. An Anatomy of Humor is an intriguing and enjoyable read for people interested in humor and the impact of popular and mass culture on society. It will also be of interest to professionals in communication and psychologists concerned with the creative process. |
| anatomy of a joke: Comedy Writing Secrets Melvin Helitzer, 1992 A comprehensive guide to writing, selling and performing all types of comedy. Includes comments, advice, gags and routines from top comics. |
| anatomy of a joke: The Hidden Tools of Comedy Steve Kaplan, 2013 A paradigm shift in understanding the mechanics and art of comedy, providing practical tools that help writers translate that understanding into successful, commercial scripts. Kaplan deconstructs secrets and techniques in popular films and TV that work and don't work, and explains what tools were used (or should have been used ). |
| anatomy of a joke: Rationale of the Dirty Joke G. Legman, 2007-11-01 Why do people tell dirty jokes? And what is it about a joke's dirtiness that makes it funny? G. Legman was perhaps the foremost scholar of the dirty joke, and as legions of humor writers and comedians know, his Rationale of the Dirty Joke remains the most exhaustive and authoritative study of the subject. More than two thousand jokes and folktales are presented, covering such topics as The Female Fool, The Fortunate Fart, Mutual Mismatching, and The Sex Machine. These folk texts are authentically transcribed in their innocent and sometimes violent entirety. Legman studies each for its historical and socioanalytic significance, revealing what these jokes mean to the people who tell them and to the people who listen and laugh. Here -- back in print -- is the definitive text for comedians and humor writers, Freudian scholars and late night television enthusiasts. Rationale of the Dirty Joke will amuse you, offend you, challenge you, and disgust you, all while demonstrating the intelligence and hilarity of the dirty joke. |
| anatomy of a joke: The Art of Comedy Writing Arthur Asa Berger, 2011-12-31 Just as a distinctive literary voice or style is marked by the ease with which it can be parodied, so too can specific aspects of humor be unique. Playwrights, television writers, novelists, cartoonists, and film scriptwriters use many special technical devices to create humor. Just as dramatic writers and novelists use specific devices to craft their work, creators of humorous materials—from the ancient Greeks to today’s stand-up comics—have continued to use certain techniques in order to generate humor. In The Art of Comedy Writing, Arthur Asa Berger argues that there are a relatively limited number of techniques—forty-five in all—that humorists employ. Elaborating upon his prior, in-depth study of humor, An Anatomy of Humor, in which Berger provides a content analysis of humor in all forms—joke books, plays, comic books, novels, short stories, comic verse, and essays—The Art of Comedy Writing goes further. Berger groups each technique into four basic categories: humor involving identity such as burlesque, caricature, mimicry, and stereotype; humor involving logic such as analogy, comparison, and reversal; humor involving language such as puns, wordplay, sarcasm, and satire; and finally, chase, slapstick, and speed, or humor involving action. Berger claims that if you want to know how writers or comedians create humor study and analysis of their humorous works can be immensely insightful. This book is a unique analytical offering for those interested in humor. It provides writers and critics with a sizable repertoire of techniques for use in their own future comic creations. As such, this book will be of interest to people inspired by humor and the creative process—professionals in the comedy field and students of creative writing, comedy, literary humor, communications, broadcast/media, and the humanities. |
| anatomy of a joke: The Humor Code Peter McGraw, Joel Warner, 2015-04-28 Part road-trip comedy and part social science experiment, a scientist and a journalist travel the globe to discover the secret behind what makes things funny, questioning countless experts, including Louis C.K., along the way. |
| anatomy of a joke: Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV Joe Toplyn, 2014-05-05 He has written and produced comedy/talk shows for over fifteen years. Now four-time Emmy winner Joe Toplyn reveals his proven methods of writing for late-night television in this one-of-a-kind insider's guide. Toplyn analyzes each type of comedy piece in the late-night TV playbook and takes you step-by-step through the process of writing it. His detailed tips, techniques, and rules include: * 6 characteristics every good monologue joke topic must have* 6 specific ways to generate punch lines* 12 tools for making your jokes their funniest* 7 types of desk pieces and how to create them* 9 steps to writing parodies and other sketches * How to go after a writing job in late night* PLUS a complete sample comedy/talk show submission packetAlso use this comprehensive manual to write short-form comedy for the Internet, sketch shows, magazines, reality shows, radio, advertising, and any other medium. |
| anatomy of a joke: Jokelopedia Ilana Weitzman, 2006-01-01 Presents a compendium of jokes, riddles, knock-knock jokes, and puns for any occasion, and includes brief blurbs about comedians and successful comedic shows. |
| anatomy of a joke: "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character Richard P. Feynman, 2018-02-06 One of the most famous science books of our time, the phenomenal national bestseller that buzzes with energy, anecdote and life. It almost makes you want to become a physicist (Science Digest). Richard P. Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. In this lively work that “can shatter the stereotype of the stuffy scientist” (Detroit Free Press), Feynman recounts his experiences trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets—and much more of an eyebrow-raising nature. In his stories, Feynman’s life shines through in all its eccentric glory—a combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, and raging chutzpah. Included for this edition is a new introduction by Bill Gates. |
| anatomy of a joke: Lacan, Psychoanalysis, and Comedy Patricia Gherovici, Manya Steinkoler, 2016-08-02 Cutting-edge philosophers, psychoanalysts, literary theorists, and scholars use Freud and Lacan to shed light on laughter, humor, and the comic. Bringing together clinic, theory, and scholarship this compilation of essays offers an original mix with powerful interpretive implications. |
| anatomy of a joke: I'm Fine...And Other Lies Whitney Cummings, 2021-02-02 “Whitney Cummings has written a book about being, well, not fine—and what to do when you find yourself with brutal anxiety and a co-dependency disorder; all in her trademark wit, humor, and honesty. This book, however, is fine as hell.”—Sophia Amoruso, author of #Girlboss “The funniest cry for help you'll read this year.”—BJ Novak Well, well, well. Look at you, ogling my book page....I presume if you’re reading this it means you either need more encouragement to buy it or we used to date and you’re trying to figure out if you should sue me or not. Here are all the stories and mistakes I’ve made that were way too embarrassing to tell on stage in front of an actual audience; but thanks to not-so-modern technology, you can read about them here so I don’t have to risk having your judgmental eye contact crush my self-esteem. This book contains some delicious schadenfreude in which I recall such humiliating debacles as breaking my shoulder while trying to impress a guy, coming very close to spending my life in a Guatemalan prison, and having my lacerated ear sewn back on by a deaf guy after losing it in a torrid love affair. In addition to hoarding mortifying situations that’ll make you feel way better about your choices, I’ve also accumulated a lot of knowledge from therapists, psychotherapists, and psychopaths, which can probably help you avoid making the same mistakes I’ve made. Think of this book as everything you’d want from the Internet all in one place, except without the constant distractions of ads, online shopping, and porn. I’m not sure what else to say to say, except that you should buy it if you want to laugh and learn how to stop being crazy. And if we used to date, see you in court. |
| anatomy of a joke: Sweet Madness William F. Fry, 2011-12-31 Written for all who are interested in the mechanics of humor, Sweet Madness presents a general discussion and introduction to the roles of paradox, metaphor, and fantasy in humor. The operation of the implicit and the unconscious in humor; the importance of humor to human life; and the development, from childhood on, of the sense of humor are discussed. The background for this serious study is drawn from such fields as psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. William F. Fry, in this work, presents a new theory of the structure of humor based on the sometimes little understood psychological processes experienced by those who use humor or are exposed to humor. It is these relationships with other fields of study that allows for this investigation into the anatomy of humor. Fry, in this outstanding and erudite volume, takes a giant step in furthering our thinking about humor in transactional terms. Humor and a sense of humor are a vital part of human interactions, and as such, this book has much to contribute to the study of psychology, cultural, communications, and of coursehumor itself. |
| anatomy of a joke: High life below stairs James Townley, 1835 |
| anatomy of a joke: Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes Jim Holt, 2008-07-17 “Finally I understand what it is I’ve been laughing at all these years.”—Jimmy Kimmel From the best-selling author of Why Does the World Exist? comes this outrageous, uproarious compendium of absurdity, filth, racy paradox, and gratuitous offensiveness—just the kind of mature philosophical reflection readers have come to expect from the ever-entertaining Jim Holt. Indeed, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This is the first book to trace the evolution of the joke all the way from the standup comics of ancient Athens to the comedy-club Seinfelds of today. After exploring humor’s history in Part One, Holt delves into philosophy in Part Two: Wall Street jokes; jokes about rednecks and atheists, bulimics and politicians; jokes you missed if you didn’t go to a Catholic girls’ school; jokes about logic and existence itself . . . all became fodder for the grand theories of Aristotle, Kant, Freud, and Wittgenstein in this heady mix of the high and low, of the ribald and profound, from America’s most beloved philosophical pundit. |
| anatomy of a joke: In on the Joke Shawn Levy, 2022 |
| anatomy of a joke: Ha! Scott Weems, 2014-03-04 An entertaining tour of the science of humor and laughter Humor, like pornography, is famously difficult to define. We know it when we see it, but is there a way to figure out what we really find funny -- and why? In this fascinating investigation into the science of humor and laughter, cognitive neuroscientist Scott Weems uncovers what's happening in our heads when we giggle, guffaw, or double over with laughter. While we typically think of humor in terms of jokes or comic timing, in Ha! Weems proposes a provocative new model. Humor arises from inner conflict in the brain, he argues, and is part of a larger desire to comprehend a complex world. Showing that the delight that comes with getting a punchline is closely related to the joy that accompanies the insight to solve a difficult problem, Weems explores why surprise is such an important element in humor, why computers are terrible at recognizing what's funny, and why it takes so long for a tragedy to become acceptable comedic fodder. From the role of insult jokes to the benefit of laughing for our immune system, Ha! reveals why humor is so idiosyncratic, and why how-to books alone will never help us become funnier people. Packed with the latest research, illuminating anecdotes, and even a few jokes, Ha! lifts the curtain on this most human of qualities. From the origins of humor in our brains to its life on the standup comedy circuit, this book offers a delightful tour of why humor is so important to our daily lives. |
| anatomy of a joke: Humor, Psyche, and Society: A Socio-Semiotic Analysis Arthur Asa Berger, 2020-10-06 It is the age-old saying that “laughter is the best medicine”. Scientific research has substantiated the claim made by this proverb by verifying the positive effects it has on both our mind and body, but what is it about a good joke, comic, or sitcom that makes us laugh? Humor, Psyche and Society is a compilation of Berger’s previously published articles and new chapters on the nature of humour, its importance for our psyches, and its social and political significance. Written in an accessible style, it uses semiotics, psychoanalytic theory, sociological theory, as well as other theories of humour to explore the multifaceted nature of humour, various styles of jokes and sitcoms. Using Berger’s typology of forty-five techniques found in all forms of humour, developed to explain what makes us laugh, this book analyses a variety of humorous texts. Balancing theory, entertaining jokes and other humorous texts, as well as the author’s illustrations, the chapters in this book delve into a diverse range of topics such as humour and the creative process, humour and health, and visual humour; along with an examination of the sitcoms Frasier and Cheers; and finally, the exploration of jokes including Jewish jokes, and jokes on Russia and Communism, and Trump. This book will be of particular interest to university students studying courses in humour, comedy, popular culture, applied semiotics, American politics and culture, and cultural studies. Due to the accessible nature of this book, the general public may find it to be both a fascinating and entertaining read. |
| anatomy of a joke: Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious Sigmund Freud, Abraham Arden Brill, 1916 |
| anatomy of a joke: The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster, 1988-10-12 With almost 5 million copies sold 60 years after its original publication, generations of readers have now journeyed with Milo to the Lands Beyond in this beloved classic. Enriched by Jules Feiffer’s splendid illustrations, the wit, wisdom, and wordplay of Norton Juster’s offbeat fantasy are as beguiling as ever. “Comes up bright and new every time I read it . . . it will continue to charm and delight for a very long time yet. And teach us some wisdom, too.” --Phillip Pullman For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams! |
| anatomy of a joke: The Primer of Humor Research Victor Raskin, 2008-11-06 The book is intended to provide a definitive view of the field of humor research for both beginning and established scholars in a variety of fields who are developing an interest in humor and need to familiarize themselves with the available body of knowledge. Each chapter of the book is devoted to an important aspect of humor research or to a disciplinary approach to the field, and each is written by the leading expert or emerging scholar in that area. There are two primary motivations for the book. The positive one is to collect and summarize the impressive body of knowledge accumulated in humor research in and around Humor: The International Journal of Humor Research. The negative motivation is to prevent the embarrassment to and from the first-timers, often established experts in their own field, who venture into humor research without any notion that there already exists a body of knowledge they need to acquire before publishing anything on the subject-unless they are in the business of reinventing the wheel and have serious doubts about its being round! The organization of the book reflects the main groups of scholars participating in the increasingly popular and high-powered humor research movement throughout the world, an 800 to 1,000-strong contingent, and growing. The chapters are organized along the same lines: History, Research Issues, Main Directions, Current Situation, Possible Future, Bibliography-and use the authors' definitive credentials not to promote an individual view, but rather to give the reader a good comprehensive and condensed view of the area. |
| anatomy of a joke: Physical Therapy Dad Jokes Andrew Tran, 2020-08-31 Andrew Tran, PT, DPT brings you over 90 pages of anatomy jokes to keep yourself and your patients entertained! You'll ulna cringe once or twice, but the laughs are guaranteed. Gift yourself or your favorite PT a book that plays to all their strengths. |
| anatomy of a joke: Animal Anatomy Sophie Corrigan, 2019-03-12 Sophie Corrigan evokes everyone's inner zoologist in this charmingly illustrated and wittily worded menagerie. Each critter featured in this fun book is tagged with totally fictitious yet comically accurate anatomical labels, from a tree frog's clingy jazz hands and a raccoon's sneaky bandito mask to a velociraptor's disembowly prowlies and many more. Rife with animal puns, eye-catching bonus art, interesting animal facts, and laugh-out-loud labels that beg to be shared, Animal Anatomy will bring smiles to animal lovers of all ages. |
| anatomy of a joke: Mastering Stand-Up Stephen Rosenfield, 2017-11-01 Stephen Rosenfield, founder and director of the American Comedy Institute, the premier comedy school in the United States, has taught literally dozens of major standup comics in North America, and has also pioneered comedy as an academic discipline in many universities, a trend that is rapidly spreading. Mastering Stand-Up draws on Rosenfield's own extensive experience (and those of countless stars like Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Rodney Dangerfield, Louis C.K., Steve Martin, Roseanne, and Johnny Carson) to show the reader—and would-be comic—what works, what doesn't, and why. Forty sharply written chapters cover every conceivable angle of the joke and how to tell it. There are a number of books on comedy and how to do it, but none has the breadth and authority Rosenfield brings to his theme. It's not for nothing that the New York Times has described him as probably the best-known comedy teacher in the country. Rosenfield's book is sure to become the classic text on its subject. And it should help thousands who long to make others laugh to realize their fondest hopes. |
| anatomy of a joke: What's So Funny? Donna M. Jackson, 2011 Explains why our brains think something is funny, what happens to us physically when we laugh, why you can tickle your friend but not yourself, and much more. |
| anatomy of a joke: The Naked Jape Jimmy Carr, Lucy Greeves, 2007 Exploring the concept of humour from various angles, 'The Naked Jape' looks at a number of comedy-related issues, revealing why we tell jokes, how jokes work, and why women can't remember punchlines. |
| anatomy of a joke: How to Write Funny John Kachuba, 2001-07-15 A discussion of the basics and genres of the comic point of view includes essays and interviews with such authors as Dave Barry, Sherman Alexie, and Melissa Bank. |
| anatomy of a joke: No Joke Ruth R. Wisse, 2013-06-02 No detailed description available for No Joke. |
| anatomy of a joke: Jokes Ted Cohen, 2008-04-15 Abe and his friend Sol are out for a walk together in a part of town they haven't been in before. Passing a Christian church, they notice a curious sign in front that says $1,000 to anyone who will convert. I wonder what that's about, says Abe. I think I'll go in and have a look. I'll be back in a minute; just wait for me. Sol sits on the sidewalk bench and waits patiently for nearly half an hour. Finally, Abe reappears. Well, asks Sol, what are they up to? Who are they trying to convert? Why do they care? Did you get the $1,000? Indignantly Abe replies, Money. That's all you people care about. Ted Cohen thinks that's not a bad joke. But he also doesn't think it's an easy joke. For a listener or reader to laugh at Abe's conversion, a complicated set of conditions must be met. First, a listener has to recognize that Abe and Sol are Jewish names. Second, that listener has to be familiar with the widespread idea that Jews are more interested in money than anything else. And finally, the listener needs to know this information in advance of the joke, and without anyone telling him or her. Jokes, in short, are complicated transactions in which communities are forged, intimacy is offered, and otherwise offensive stereotypes and cliches lose their sting—at least sometimes. Jokes is a book of jokes and a book about them. Cohen loves a good laugh, but as a philosopher, he is also interested in how jokes work, why they work, and when they don't. The delight at the end of a joke is the result of a complex set of conditions and processes, and Cohen takes us through these conditions in a philosophical exploration of humor. He considers questions of audience, selection of joke topics, the ethnic character of jokes, and their morality, all with plenty of examples that will make you either chuckle or wince. Jokes: more humorous than other philosophy books, more philosophical than other humor books. Befitting its subject, this study of jokes is . . . light, funny, and thought-provoking. . . . [T]he method fits the material, allowing the author to pepper the book with a diversity of jokes without flattening their humor as a steamroller theory might. Such a book is only as good as its jokes, and most of his are good. . . . [E]ntertainment and ideas in one gossamer package.—Kirkus Reviews One of the many triumphs of Ted Cohen's Jokes-apart from the not incidental fact that the jokes are so good that he doesn't bother to compete with them-is that it never tries to sound more profound than the jokes it tells. . . . [H]e makes you feel he is doing an unusual kind of philosophy. As though he has managed to turn J. L. Austin into one of the Marx Brothers. . . . Reading Jokes makes you feel that being genial is the most profound thing we ever do-which is something jokes also make us feel-and that doing philosophy is as natural as being amused.—Adam Phillips, London Review of Books [A] lucid and jargon-free study of the remarkable fact that we divert each other with stories meant to make us laugh. . . . An illuminating study, replete with killer jokes.—Kevin McCardle, The Herald (Glasgow) Cohen is an ardent joke-maker, keen to offer us a glimpse of how jokes are crafted and to have us dwell rather longer on their effects.—Barry C. Smith, Times Literary Supplement Because Ted Cohen loves jokes, we come to appreciate them more, and perhaps think further about the quality of good humor and the appropriateness of laughter in our lives.—Steve Carlson, Christian Science Monitor |
| anatomy of a joke: Humor, Seriously Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, 2021-02-02 WALL STREET JOURNAL, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Anyone—even you!—can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Don’t miss the authors’ TED Talk, “Why great leaders take humor seriously,” online now. “The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive We are living through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval in both our personal and professional lives. So it should come as a surprise to exactly no one that trust, human connection, and mental well-being are all on the decline. This may seem like no laughing matter. Yet, the research shows that humor and laughter are among the most valuable tools we have at our disposal for strengthening bonds and relationships, diffusing stress and tension, boosting resilience, and performing when the stakes are high. That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds infuse more humor and levity into their work and lives. In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, world-class comedians, and inspiring business leaders to reveal how humor works and—more important—how you can use more of it, better. Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and simple ways to identify and leverage your unique humor style. They show how to use humor to rebuild vital connections; appear more confident, competent, and authentic at work; and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive. President Dwight David Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” If Dwight David Eisenhower, the second least naturally funny president (after Franklin Pierce), thought humor was necessary to win wars, build highways, and warn against the military-industrial complex, then you might consider learning it too. |
| anatomy of a joke: Of Corpse Peter Narvaez, 2003-07 Laughter, contemporary theory suggests, is often aggressive in some manner and may be prompted by a sudden perception of incongruity combined with memories of past emotional experience. Given this importance of the past to our recognition of the comic, it follows that some traditions dispose us to ludic responses. The studies in Of Corpse: Death and Humor in Folklore and Popular Culture examine specific interactions of text (jokes, poetry, epitaphs, iconography, film drama) and social context (wakes, festivals, disasters) that shape and generate laughter. Uniquely, however, the essays here peruse a remarkable paradox---the convergence of death and humor. |
| anatomy of a joke: Super Silly Jokes for Kids Vicki Whiting, 2020-09-08 More than two hundred jokes for children about everything from dinosaurs to aliens, accompanied by hilarious color illustrations! Do you know how many tickles it takes to tickle an octopus? Tentacles! From the creative minds at Kid Scoop®, an award-winning and nationally syndicated activity page for children, comes this hysterical book chock full of jokes, riddles, and puns. Kids will enjoy flipping through these pages and learning over two hundred jokes they’ve never heard before and can’t wait to tell. Featuring jokes about pirates, dinosaurs, mermaids, monsters, robots, aliens, animals, and so much more, this book provides hours of fun for young jokesters and anyone else who loves to laugh! This is a fixed-format ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book |
| anatomy of a joke: The Things They Carried Tim O'Brien, 2009-10-13 A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene, The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling. The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O’Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three. Taught everywhere—from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing—it has become required reading for any American and continues to challenge readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, courage and fear and longing. The Things They Carried won France's prestigious Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize; it was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. |
| anatomy of a joke: Stand-Up Comedy Judy Carter, 2010-03-03 If you think you’re funny, buy this book! Whether you dream of becoming a star . . . A better public speaker . . . A more effective communicator . . . A funnier, happier human being . . . You can learn to leave ‘em laughing! David Letterman learned to do it. Jay Leno learned to do it. Roseanne Barr learned to do it. So can you! Now successful stand-up comic Judy Carter—who went from teaching high school to performing in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe, and on over 45 major TV shows—gives you the same hands-on, step-by-step instruction she’s taught to students in her comedy workshops. She shows you how to do it: create an act, perform it, make money with it, or apply it to everyday life. Discover: • The formulas for creating comedy material • How to find your own style • The three steps to putting your act together • Rehearsal do’s and don’ts • What to do if you bomb • Ways to punch up your everyday life with humor |
| anatomy of a joke: Critical Code Studies Mark C. Marino, 2020-03-10 An argument that we must read code for more than what it does—we must consider what it means. Computer source code has become part of popular discourse. Code is read not only by programmers but by lawyers, artists, pundits, reporters, political activists, and literary scholars; it is used in political debate, works of art, popular entertainment, and historical accounts. In this book, Mark Marino argues that code means more than merely what it does; we must also consider what it means. We need to learn to read code critically. Marino presents a series of case studies—ranging from the Climategate scandal to a hactivist art project on the US-Mexico border—as lessons in critical code reading. Marino shows how, in the process of its circulation, the meaning of code changes beyond its functional role to include connotations and implications, opening it up to interpretation and inference—and misinterpretation and reappropriation. The Climategate controversy, for example, stemmed from a misreading of a bit of placeholder code as a “smoking gun” that supposedly proved fabrication of climate data. A poetry generator created by Nick Montfort was remixed and reimagined by other poets, and subject to literary interpretation. Each case study begins by presenting a small and self-contained passage of code—by coders as disparate as programming pioneer Grace Hopper and philosopher Friedrich Kittler—and an accessible explanation of its context and functioning. Marino then explores its extra-functional significance, demonstrating a variety of interpretive approaches. |
| anatomy of a joke: Humour: A Very Short Introduction Noël Carroll, 2014-01-23 Humour has been discovered in every known human culture and thinkers have discussed it for over two thousand years. Humour can serve many functions; it can be used to relieve stress, to promote goodwill among strangers, to dissipate tension within a fractious group, to display intelligence, and some have even claimed that it improves health and fights sickness. In this Very Short Introduction Noel Carroll examines the leading theories of humour including The Superiority Theory and The Incongruity Theory. He considers the relation of humour to emotion and cognition, and explores the value of humour, specifically in its social functions. He argues that humour, and the comic amusement that follows it, has a crucial role to play in the construction of communities, but he also demonstrates that the social aspect of humour raises questions such as 'When is humour immoral?' and 'Is laughing at immoral humour itself immoral?'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. |
| anatomy of a joke: The Joke Machine Theresa Julian, 2019-10-08 A JOKE BOOK THAT TEACHES YOU HOW TO BE FUNNY! Follow a cast of fictional funny experts into the Laugh Lab, a hilarious joke-building factory that teaches middle-grade readers how to create their own jokes, puns, silly one-liners, and more. Each chapter explores a different style of joke making, such as surprise, understatement, and exaggeration, and includes hundreds of hilarious examples. By the end of the book, readers will have a set of tools in their joke belt to make their friends and family actually LOL. The book includes more than 500 family-friendly jokes—plus zillions that you can create on your own! |
| anatomy of a joke: Inside Jokes Matthew M. Hurley, Daniel Clement Dennett, Reginald B. Adams, 2011 Some things are funny -- jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed -- but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem that arose when our long-ago ancestors were furnished with open-ended thinking. Mother Nature -- aka natural selection -- cannot just order the brain to find and fix all our time-pressured misleaps and near-misses. She has to bribe the brain with pleasure. So we find them funny. This wired-in source of pleasure has been tickled relentlessly by humorists over the centuries, and we have become addicted to the endogenous mind candy that is humor. |
| anatomy of a joke: Absolute Zero Gravity Betsy Devine, Joel E. Cohen, 1992 |
| anatomy of a joke: 101 Stem Jokes Orion Razat, 2020-04-22 Inspired by a love of science, technology, engineering and math and a dream to make learning more fun, Orion, a witty child, was encouraged by his teacher to write his jokes down. 101 jokes later, he is ready to share them with you. Filled with silly jokes about everything from slimy sea creatures to coding, hands-on experiments, and informative Fun Facts, 101 STEM Jokes encourages kids everywhere to have fun with learning. |
| anatomy of a joke: The Healing Power of Humor Allen Klein, 1989-02 The ability to laugh at annoyances, crises, and even outright disasters can literally save your life. The author presents a series of proven techniques for overcoming the negative effects of loss, setbacks, upsets, disappointments, trials, and tribulations. |
The Anatomy of a Joke - Toastmasters International
The 4-Step Joke-Writing Process. Step 1: Start with a factual, truthful piece of information. Here is mine: “I had eggs for breakfast.” Step 2: List 10 assumptions. Start with 10 so you’ll make …
Anatomy of a Joke - How to Be Funny - Nymag - New York Magazine
Sep 23, 2005 · I wrote down the basic idea, something like “My plants often die,” and then turned it over in my mind to see where the exact joke lies. To do this, I’ll identify the elements of the …
Joke Writing: The Ultimate Free Guide to Joke Structures
Joke Structures, also known as “joke formats” or “joke types” is a way for comedians to organize a setup and punchline to create a comedic conflict. A “ Joke Formula ” is a conventional joke …
What do you think the structure of a joke is? : r/Standup - Reddit
Aug 11, 2022 · A joke is a clever subverting of expectations, which can be summarised as a happy surprise. The instinct to laugh is very similar to the one to scream, which is best shown …
The Anatomy of a Joke: Understanding the Science of Laughter
Aug 13, 2023 · This in-depth guide explores the evolutionary beginnings of laughter in humans, its neural underpinnings, and theories on why we find jokes funny and amusing.
How to Write a Good Joke - HogoNext
Feb 11, 2025 · Understanding the Anatomy of a Joke. Before we delve into the how-to, let’s dissect what makes a joke tick. Most jokes, regardless of their form, share a common …
Anatomy of the Joke. What everyone needs to know about… | by …
Feb 18, 2019 · There’s plenty more that goes into writing a joke than just the Punchline. There’s psychology, wordsmithing, and unresolved post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Art of Humor: Dissecting the Anatomy of Jokes - gigglyx.com
By dissecting successful jokes, one can learn about timing, delivery, and the audience's expectations, which are crucial for achieving that desired laughter. In this journey through …
The Anatomy of a Stand-up Joke - Top Stand-up Comedy Tips
Feb 14, 2025 · Here is the anatomy of a stand-up comedy joke that you will get from almost every resource: A stand-up comedy joke has 3 primary parts: 1. The set-up lines. These are the …
The Anatomy of a Joke: How to Write and Translate a Joke
In this article we explore the complexities of translating jokes across languages and cultures. Learn with us how to successfully translate a joke
The Anatomy of a Joke - Toastmasters International
The 4-Step Joke-Writing Process. Step 1: Start with a factual, truthful piece of information. Here is mine: “I had eggs for breakfast.” Step 2: List 10 assumptions. Start with 10 so you’ll make …
Anatomy of a Joke - How to Be Funny - Nymag - New York Magazine
Sep 23, 2005 · I wrote down the basic idea, something like “My plants often die,” and then turned it over in my mind to see where the exact joke lies. To do this, I’ll identify the elements of the …
Joke Writing: The Ultimate Free Guide to Joke Structures
Joke Structures, also known as “joke formats” or “joke types” is a way for comedians to organize a setup and punchline to create a comedic conflict. A “ Joke Formula ” is a conventional joke …
What do you think the structure of a joke is? : r/Standup - Reddit
Aug 11, 2022 · A joke is a clever subverting of expectations, which can be summarised as a happy surprise. The instinct to laugh is very similar to the one to scream, which is best shown …
The Anatomy of a Joke: Understanding the Science of Laughter
Aug 13, 2023 · This in-depth guide explores the evolutionary beginnings of laughter in humans, its neural underpinnings, and theories on why we find jokes funny and amusing.
How to Write a Good Joke - HogoNext
Feb 11, 2025 · Understanding the Anatomy of a Joke. Before we delve into the how-to, let’s dissect what makes a joke tick. Most jokes, regardless of their form, share a common …
Anatomy of the Joke. What everyone needs to know about… | by …
Feb 18, 2019 · There’s plenty more that goes into writing a joke than just the Punchline. There’s psychology, wordsmithing, and unresolved post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Art of Humor: Dissecting the Anatomy of Jokes - gigglyx.com
By dissecting successful jokes, one can learn about timing, delivery, and the audience's expectations, which are crucial for achieving that desired laughter. In this journey through …
The Anatomy of a Stand-up Joke - Top Stand-up Comedy Tips
Feb 14, 2025 · Here is the anatomy of a stand-up comedy joke that you will get from almost every resource: A stand-up comedy joke has 3 primary parts: 1. The set-up lines. These are the …
The Anatomy of a Joke: How to Write and Translate a Joke
In this article we explore the complexities of translating jokes across languages and cultures. Learn with us how to successfully translate a joke
