Pulling the Philosophical Finger

As a wannabe philosopher who loves to laugh, I find the concept of humor quite intriguing. I would even argue that comedy is a form of philosophy. But in what sense? From one person to the next, you never know what someone will consider funny. Furthermore, humor takes on various forms, from wit to sarcasm to slapstick. One might delight in all of these, but is there a common thread? When I was rather young, my dad told me that humor was the result of the unexpected. I found this definition lacking, however, when my impromptu “hello!”s during dinnertime prompted absolutely zero laughter from my family. Issuing salutations, however helter-skelter I may have been about it, did not equate with good comedy. Unexpected, yes. Funny? Not in the least.

But I do believe one key ingredient underlies all instances of humor, namely that of contradiction. One of the most common elements of comedy is misunderstanding, whether it be a case of mistaken identities or two people unknowingly carrying on a conversation about two very different things. Regardless, there is an inherent contradiction that makes the situation funny. Innuendo basks in the contradictory meanings that simultaneously inhabit a set of words. Slapstick caricaturizes natural responses to physical pain and distress, thereby creating a contradictory image that extorts laughter from the perceiver.

Many people believe that the funniest things are those that are most accurate. “It’s funny because it’s true!” is a familiar adage in our society. Satire, parody, impersonations—these forms of comedy are most successful when truth and realism are closely approximated. But I argue that contradiction is still at the root of such humor. An impersonation is funny because we know it’s an impersonation—there is a contradiction between truth and appearances. When we laugh at something “because it’s true,” we generally laugh at the absurdity that is being brought to our attention—the way we are prone to overreact to things that are either absurd or, in the end, not big deals at all. In other words, our own mental states and behavioral attitudes often contradict reality, and we find it quite amusing when this truth is brought to our attention.

Of course, I’ve yet to figure out why potty humor is loved by so many. I cringe when audiences break into hysterics over the asinine movie previews being shown at the multiplex. There are occasions when, whether or not I find it humorous, I can at least understand why someone might laugh at crude or bawdy humor. For example, the guy in the movie may struggle with uncontrollable gas while facilitating a very important business meeting. The contradiction lies in the man’s inability to maintain polite social customs during a situation that so rigorously demands it. But, all too often, brainless humor runs rampant. No contradiction is necessary. Any fart will do. Why is this? I think maturity is a large part of it. On the most simplistic level, farting and burping are social no-no’s, and therefore their presence is automatically a contradiction of social standards. Thus, from that simplistic mindset, humor automatically exists. As we mature, we require contradictions to be more eloquently presented. We know that farting exists and we know that it is socially taboo to break wind in public, and therefore the juxtaposition of these two facts does not stir in us delight.

That being said, are any of you familiar with “This Week in Unnecessary Censorship”? It is supposedly a recurring skit on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show. I don’t watch his show, but I did catch this particular skit once and I found it hilarious. The premise is that they take various television clips (from the news, talk shows, etc.) and, as one might expect, needlessly censor them in such a way as to create the illusion of explicitness. My 16-year-old niece was too mature to find these funny, but if you can handle the insinuation of extreme profanity and vulgarity, these clips will be right up your alley. The final one is meant to be a “best-of” for the entire year and is easily the most explicit. Should you even wish to attempt these, please watch the first one first, then decide if you'd like to continue!

http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=JKL-Unnecessary-Censorship-20050120
http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=JKL-unneccessary-censorship-20050113
http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=Kimmel-1yr-of-Unnecessary-Censorship