"The tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement."
A quality of writing or speech that is amusing, comical or entertaining and can be expressed through a variety of styles and techniques, including satire, parody, irony and sarcasm.
Definition of humor: Understanding the different types of humor (slapstick, satire, irony, parody, etc.) and how they work in the literary genre of comedy.
Historical overview of comedy: Tracing the historical development of comedy from ancient times to the present day, including key works, authors, and movements.
Theory of humor: Studying major theories of humor and the psychology of laughter, including the superiority theory, incongruity theory, and relief theory.
Elements of comedy: Understanding the basic elements that make comedy work, such as timing, surprise, exaggeration, and repetition.
Situational comedy: Analyzing how humor arises from specific situations, such as misunderstandings, accidents, and cultural clashes.
Character comedy: Examining how humor arises from specific personality traits and quirks of fictional characters, as well as how authors create comedic characters.
Language and word play: Looking at puns, wordplay, and other forms of linguistic humor.
Comedy and social commentary: Analyzing how comedy can be used to critique social norms, institutions, and power structures.
Comedy as reflection of society: Examining how comedy reflects and shapes the values and concerns of the societies in which it arises.
Writing comedy: Learning techniques for writing humorous material, including brainstorming, pacing, and setting up punchlines.
Satire: Using humor to criticize something or someone, often using exaggeration or irony.
Parody: A comedic imitation of something, often a famous person or work of art.
Wit: Clever and quick humor that relies on a sharp mind.
Sarcasm: Using cutting remarks to mock someone or something, often close to the truth.
Irony: Saying one thing but meaning the opposite, often resulting in a humorous outcome.
Wordplay: Using puns, homonyms, and other word-based jokes to create humor.
Slapstick: Physical humor that relies on things like falls, collisions, and over-the-top gestures.
Farce: A play or movie that uses exaggerated and improbable situations for humor.
Dark Comedy: Humor that deals with depressing, morbid or controversial topics, often used as a way to cope with them.
Observational Humor: Jokes that are based on everyday situations or observations, often pointed out in a new and unexpected way.
Deadpan: Speaking humorously without showing emotion or expression, often resulting in an unexpected punchline.
Absurdism: A type of comedy that relies on irrational, illogical situations and characters.
Blue humor: Humor that is considered to be inappropriate or vulgar, often relying on taboo topics like sex, drug use, or bodily fluids.
Improvisational humor: Making up jokes on the spot, often based on suggestions from the audience.
Sketch comedy: A type of comedy that uses a series of short scenes or skits, often with recurring characters or themes.
"The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks."
"Taught that the balance of fluids in the human body, known as humours, controlled human health and emotion."
"People of all ages and cultures respond to humour."
"Most people are able to experience humour—be amused, smile or laugh at something funny—and thus are considered to have a sense of humour."
"The hypothetical person lacking a sense of humour would likely find the behaviour to be inexplicable, strange, or even irrational."
"The extent to which a person finds something humorous depends on a host of variables, including geographical location, culture, maturity, level of education, intelligence, and context."
"Young children may favor slapstick such as Punch and Judy puppet shows or cartoons such as Tom and Jerry or Looney Tunes, whose physical nature makes it accessible to them."
"More sophisticated forms of humor such as satire require an understanding of its social meaning and context."
"Satire tends to appeal to a more mature audience."
"Humour (Commonwealth English) or humor (American English)."
"The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks."
"Taught that the balance of fluids in the human body, known as humours, controlled human health and emotion."
"Though ultimately decided by subjective personal taste..."
"The hypothetical person lacking a sense of humour would likely find the behaviour to be inexplicable, strange, or even irrational."
"The extent to which a person finds something humorous depends on a host of variables, including geographical location, culture, maturity, level of education, intelligence, and context."
"Young children may favor slapstick..."
"More sophisticated forms of humor such as satire require an understanding of its social meaning and context."
"Satire tends to appeal to a more mature audience."
"The extent to which a person finds something humorous depends on a host of variables, including geographical location, culture, maturity, level of education, intelligence, and context."