{"id":92,"date":"2008-07-16T11:08:47","date_gmt":"2008-07-16T19:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/cain\/humour-is-a-weaponso-you-better-learn-how-to-use-it\/"},"modified":"2008-07-16T11:08:47","modified_gmt":"2008-07-16T19:08:47","slug":"humour-is-a-weaponso-you-better-learn-how-to-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/2008\/07\/16\/humour-is-a-weaponso-you-better-learn-how-to-use-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Humour is a weapon….so you better learn how to use it!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em>
\n– Mark Twain<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wit is a dangerous weapon, even to the possessor, if he knows not how to use it discreetly\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em>
\n– Michael de Montaigne<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both Montaigne and Twain were, of course, entirely right in their assessments.\u00c2\u00a0 Especially Montaigne, that genteel and erudite man of letters, whose scholarly essays were always filled with amusing and witty anecdotes, usually at his own expense.<\/p>\n

But the fact remains, humour is a weapon.\u00c2\u00a0 In fact, its the best weapon there is.\u00c2\u00a0 How powerful is a potential Adolph Hitler if all his voters are laughing at him?\u00c2\u00a0 Bigots and fundamentalists of all stripes have a decidedly dim view of humour for this reason.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s not a product of force, but of the intellect.\u00c2\u00a0 It doesn’t reduce cities to rubble or execute heretics, but at the same time it can be used to kill a man stone dead, in the eyes of those whose respect and fear he needs the most.<\/p>\n

Even the traditionalist militarists and corporatists are suspicious of humour.\u00c2\u00a0 Its not something that can be used for inflating an R&D budget, nor acquired and stockpiled at great cost.\u00c2\u00a0 Equally, its subversive tendencies chafe against the regimentation and hierarchical nature of corporate life.<\/p>\n

The thing is, with all weapons, you have to know how to use it right.\u00c2\u00a0 Just like in a knife fight, where an inexperienced idiot with a blade is a greater danger to themselves than an unarmed expert, you have to know how to use humour properly, or else you’ll end up hoisted on your own petard, as it were.<\/p>\n

Because of this, a sort of rumour, or perhaps a scurrilous lie, has been spread about humour.\u00c2\u00a0 Apparently, its an inborn trait, like blonde hair, or height, or wanting to be a corporate liar.\u00c2\u00a0 Some sort of genetic fluke which makes some people funny and others not.\u00c2\u00a0 And if you are one, then you can never be the other, try as you might.<\/p>\n

It is, of course, complete and utter bullshit.\u00c2\u00a0 No doubt some people have more of a natural flair for humour \u00e2\u20ac\u201c perhaps an ease with large audiences, a natural disposition to be the centre of attention, an excellent command of the English language.\u00c2\u00a0 But humour, like any other skill and especially writing style, can be cultivated and developed, up until the point it can be forged into a weapon, a perfect design to smash enemies and leave them looking like fools.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this means we’re going to have to do some incredibly unfunny analysis of humour and how it actually works.\u00c2\u00a0 If that bothers you, then I suggest you look away…now.<\/p>\n

Right, now we’re rid of them.\u00c2\u00a0 I suppose I should start from the beginning.\u00c2\u00a0 What is the point of humour?\u00c2\u00a0 Psychologists have actually found that humour, while an innate trait among most humans, also serves some interesting sociological purposes as well.<\/p>\n

Usually, these are divided down into six reasons:<\/p>\n

we laugh out of instinct
\nwe laugh out of incongruity
\nwe laugh out of ambivalence
\nwe laugh for release
\nwe laugh when we solve a puzzle
\nwe laugh when we regress<\/p>\n

Additionally, two meta-reasons are often added to this analysis:\u00c2\u00a0 we laugh out of surprise, or because we feel superior.<\/p>\n

Surprise is obvious and easy.\u00c2\u00a0 Its also one of the most universal reasons for laughing.\u00c2\u00a0 Embarrassment and trickery are core to this idea.\u00c2\u00a0 Obviously, you have to maintain the level of surprise for this type of humour to work.\u00c2\u00a0 Easily guessed wordplay might be witty, but lacking that factor, it is not especially funny.<\/p>\n

Surprise is, in essence, the cardinal rule of comedy.\u00c2\u00a0 It should have some role in almost everything funny you do.\u00c2\u00a0 Without it, comedy ceases to be.\u00c2\u00a0 Its a curve ball that throws the audience off balance.<\/p>\n

Superiority, of course, is one that should actually interest us too.\u00c2\u00a0 All good humour has an element of both tragedy and cruelty to it, to be really effective.\u00c2\u00a0 What adds to that effectiveness is the feeling that those who are not the target of the joke, or who guessed at or appreciated the joke, are superior to those who are not.<\/p>\n

This may sound, in theory, elitist, but it need not be.\u00c2\u00a0 In fact, comedy of this sort is often the great equalizer, documenting and mocking the failings of the great and powerful, of people who want to put you in your place.\u00c2\u00a0 Comedy of this sort is the true razor blade of rhetoric, its use is to cut the other person down to size.\u00c2\u00a0 Its transgressive nature questions assumptions and cherished beliefs.\u00c2\u00a0 As social criticism, it is especially effective because humour goes beyond restrictions and social norms.\u00c2\u00a0 Humour can also be used to maintain the status quo, to ridicule out-groups…but that sort of humour is boring and stale.<\/p>\n

Instinctively, we laugh as a verbal substitute for an attack.\u00c2\u00a0 The laugh of the triumphant is the one that says \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am better than you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 It is a way of venting hostility when physical assault is not practical.<\/p>\n

Incongruity makes us laugh because something is internally inconsistent, it is paired or matched in odd ways.\u00c2\u00a0 When we realize why, or how, we laugh.\u00c2\u00a0 Often this is related to the idea of superiority, though the original appearance of the incongruous may be surprising as well.\u00c2\u00a0 The two combined are especially effective.<\/p>\n

Ambivalence is similar to incongruity, but instead of the clash or conflict of irreconcilable ideas or perceptions, ambivalence is the simultaneous presence of mixes signals.\u00c2\u00a0 Once decoded, the language expresses both of these feelings, usually love and hate, at the same time.\u00c2\u00a0 It is an attempt to maintain dignity, to cover up our foolish errors, and is especially useful in self-deprecating humour.<\/p>\n

Release is a pretty obvious one.\u00c2\u00a0 We laugh to release tension, to remove ourselves from uncomfortable or dangerous situations, to air truths that may be otherwise hard to face.\u00c2\u00a0 This release is especially useful if it can be experienced as a group event \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and the element of surprise must be removed.\u00c2\u00a0 The audience must know what lies behind the door, or what happens next to the over-curious cat.\u00c2\u00a0 That is where the rule of surprise no longer applies.<\/p>\n

After we’ve been roughed up, its nice to see someone else take a few lumps.\u00c2\u00a0 The idea is that if we are laughing at them, then they cannot laugh at us.\u00c2\u00a0 This humour can spark a revolutionary sentiment, or quash it, giving safe release to emotions that may be better used getting people to work at something else.\u00c2\u00a0 Consider its use carefully.<\/p>\n

Puzzles are also elements of surprise.\u00c2\u00a0 Its a matter of configuration, the set up.\u00c2\u00a0 You have to frame a problem or a riddle in a certain manner, then propose a valid, if surprising, answer to it.\u00c2\u00a0 We take delight in the surprise, and comfort in the superiority of knowledge.<\/p>\n

In terms of regression, Freud argued that comedy was as important as sleep.\u00c2\u00a0 It allowed for more primitive urges and desires to be expressed in acceptable social ways.\u00c2\u00a0 Especially for infantile, sexual or aggressive behaviour.\u00c2\u00a0 A playful mood, adopted as relaxation, is the most common form of this sort of humour (consider the comic strip \u00e2\u20ac\u201c often the most common form of humour regardless of nationality or culture).\u00c2\u00a0 This also includes a desire for social approval however.\u00c2\u00a0 Regressive humour is rarely continued without a form of social acceptance, especially from authority figures.\u00c2\u00a0 It is therefore a tool to be used when you and your audience share a target in common, someone whom you both dislike and feel needs to be made an object of ridicule.<\/p>\n

In short, humour is a manifestation of what society really believes, but dares not say.\u00c2\u00a0 It pierces beneath the bullshit and spin to get at the Really Real (Perceived) Truth of the matter.\u00c2\u00a0 Because sometimes we cannot deal with tragedy directly, we rely on humour to ease our way to acceptance.<\/p>\n

Sick humour, in and of itself, is rarely effective, except perhaps as an opening gambit, a ploy to attract attention.\u00c2\u00a0 Beyond that, it can actually have a negative effect on audiences.<\/p>\n

So, that’s the why of humour, the idea as to why we need it.\u00c2\u00a0 Now we move onto the nuts and bolts, the how of humour.\u00c2\u00a0 These are the necessary ingredients for any comedic routine.\u00c2\u00a0 Without them, the humour may taste somewhat off or wrong, and in worst case scenarios, ruin the entire joke.<\/p>\n

The six principle ingredients are:<\/p>\n

Target
\nHostility
\nRealism
\nExaggeration
\nEmotion
\nSurprise<\/p>\n

The target is the most important aspect of this.\u00c2\u00a0 A successful target must fit the persona and style you are using, as well as the interests of the audience.\u00c2\u00a0 Therefore, pick your battles carefully, and with this uppermost in your mind.\u00c2\u00a0 Just remember, you have to reaffirm some the prejudices of your audience, and be very unfair to whoever your target is.\u00c2\u00a0 Oh well, such is life.\u00c2\u00a0 There is no room for balance or explanation in a joke, you have to be as ruthless as a General.\u00c2\u00a0 See the weakness, and exploit it for all its worth.\u00c2\u00a0 Deny the goodness of your target.<\/p>\n

If you cannot pick a person, then pick an experience with universal appeal.\u00c2\u00a0 But I prefer the well known person route, since we are talking of humour as a weapon here.\u00c2\u00a0 Also, remember that if you do pick an experience, do not make it too broad.\u00c2\u00a0 It has to be specific in what it entails.\u00c2\u00a0 Driving is not funny, women who manage to multi-task every single fucking thing in the world while driving, however, can be.<\/p>\n

Hostility is next.\u00c2\u00a0 Comedy is cruel.\u00c2\u00a0 In our case, necessarily so, because we deal with cruel people in a cruel world.\u00c2\u00a0 This hostility is a powerful antidote to the hostility many of us feel to those we are surrounded by in our every day lives \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it is a release, because we all have an element of hostility towards something.<\/p>\n

Authority is a natural target the world over for comics.\u00c2\u00a0 Remember it, cherish it, use it.\u00c2\u00a0 People all around the world hate their leaders, their systems, the powers they have to labour under.\u00c2\u00a0 This humour is nihilistic \u00e2\u20ac\u201c no one is too powerful or too pure to be beyond reproach.\u00c2\u00a0 Just remember lots of people have sympathy for the underdog, so direct that hostility upwards.<\/p>\n

Next to authority, money and business are also perfect targets.\u00c2\u00a0 Aside from that, angst, the painful knowledge of the ugly reality, is another one.\u00c2\u00a0 Merchandising human suffering is the fuel which angst runs on.<\/p>\n

Realism.\u00c2\u00a0 Like all good propaganda and disinformation, comedy contains a kernel of truth hidden within it.\u00c2\u00a0 Comedy is essentially telling the truth via lying, the use of juxtaposition, surprise and the bending of language to give life to an unexpressable reality.<\/p>\n

Most of the facts of humour should be logical and obvious, but hidden via convention and expression so that we don’t quite apprehend them correctly.\u00c2\u00a0 A major deviation from reality wont prevent humour, however it will likely not be as funny as a joke based on reality is.<\/p>\n

Exaggeration.\u00c2\u00a0 Ah, poetic licence.\u00c2\u00a0 Humour is what allows people to suspend disbelief, and this should be used to its full advantage.\u00c2\u00a0 Absurdity, hyperbole and outright lying are all acceptable because, as the exaggeration signals to us: hey, its only a joke.\u00c2\u00a0 Often the foil to the realism of the joke, the two are held up and follow from each other to create the incongruity that results in laughter.<\/p>\n

Emotion.\u00c2\u00a0 Hostility alone is not enough emotion.\u00c2\u00a0 There has to be an element of anticipation within the audience, the joke has to be built up.\u00c2\u00a0 In effect, you create tension, then you release it.\u00c2\u00a0 The audience is wound up, then down.\u00c2\u00a0 You must, in effect, adopt a persona which can bring about this effect within an audience.\u00c2\u00a0 Almost always, the best way to do this is with a character that shows a sort of boundless, almost infectious energy.\u00c2\u00a0 You also have to know how to use language.\u00c2\u00a0 Where to stop, where to start, where to pause \u00e2\u20ac\u201c there must be a rhythm to your delivery.<\/p>\n

Stand-up in particular is more a funny man doing material than a man doing funny material.\u00c2\u00a0 To a degree, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.\u00c2\u00a0 The man who is delivering the material is funny, therefore his material must be funny too.\u00c2\u00a0 This identity\/rhetorical sleight of hand is not always true, but it is worth remembering and considering.\u00c2\u00a0 Delivery is key, and cannot be understated.<\/p>\n

Surprise.\u00c2\u00a0 Of course, this was mentioned in the previous chapter, but merits a mention here as well.\u00c2\u00a0 Charlie Chaplin defined surprise in terms of a film scene in which the villain is chasing the heroine down the street.\u00c2\u00a0 On the sidewalk is a banana peel. The camera cuts swiftly back and forth from the banana peel to the approaching villain.\u00c2\u00a0 At the last second, the heavy sees the banana peel and jumps over it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand then falls into an open manhole.<\/p>\n

The surprise cannot be telegraphed.\u00c2\u00a0 No matter what.\u00c2\u00a0 It must be genuine, or else it loses its impact.\u00c2\u00a0 You have to master the poker face, keep the audience in suspense for just long enough to pull the rug out from under them.<\/p>\n

OK, this is getting far too long already, and I cannot possibly hope to include every single possible hint about comedy.\u00c2\u00a0 But keep these ideas in mind, play around with them, practice, and encourage creativity within humour!\u00c2\u00a0 And as you get better…put it to a use!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d – Mark Twain \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wit is a dangerous weapon, even to the possessor, if he knows not how to use it discreetly\u00e2\u20ac\u009d – Michael de Montaigne Both Montaigne and Twain were, of course, entirely right in their assessments.\u00c2\u00a0 Especially Montaigne, that genteel and … Continue reading Humour is a weapon….so you better learn how to use it!<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,34,15,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art","category-humour","category-lulz","category-philosophy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}