Jokes

A joke is any expression of an idea, situation, concept, or image that is designed to be humorous or funny. It can also be a physical action or behavior designed to create humour.

The forms that a joke may take are almost limitless. The first joke a small child may ever make could be putting an object in a strange, inappropriate place and showing a parent what he or she has done. Children also tend to appreciate simple two-part jokes, called “boom boom” jokes – such as: What did the traffic light say to the car? ... “Don’t look, I’m changing.” These jokes often rely on puns, which often involve dual meanings of the same word, or words that sound similar to each other.

It seems that jokes have existed for as long as the human race has. Writings or images that function as jokes have been found in works of ancient civilizations, and in records from almost all civilizations and ethnic groups in existence. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.123.729&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Jokes and humor seem to be based on the brain activity that is stimulated by certain ideas, images, or uses of words. Although there is more than one kind of joke, the same areas of the brain are stimulated by varying sources of humor.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1185972.stm

Jokes can take an almost limitless number of forms, such as:

• A very short story with a buildup to an unexpected or ironic conclusion. The final, short sentence bringing about the humorous concluding idea is called the punchline.
• A question and an answer, or a short setup with a short punchline. Examples of this are “Boom Boom” jokes and “Doctor, Doctor” jokes, as well as two-part jokes that begin with “Did you hear about the....”
• An image - for example, political cartoons, The Far Side cartoons, or “sight gags” in sitcoms
• An interaction between characters
• A statement made without seriousness or complete truth
• A question asked without seriousness
• A pun, which causes the audience to think about two different meanings of a word or idea at the same time. “Knock Knock” jokes are often examples of puns
• A clever way of highlighting or exaggerating a flaw, feature, perception, or generalization
• A representation of an idea or situation that is absurd or strange
• The behavior or traits of a character with a ridiculous or abnormal quality - for example, the behavior and traits of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory
• A situation which is enjoyably typical, or surprisingly atypical
• An allusion to something distasteful or somewhat taboo
• A physical action which surprises or tricks someone - such as a practical joke

This list by no means covers every possible form that a joke can take.

It is believed that many jokes work by creating an idea of incongruency. They make the audience think about something in a way that is absurd, out of place, inappropriate, or inconsistent. Another way to explain this is that a joke sets up thoughts or reactions which are unexpected or surprising, or not in keeping with what is usual. . http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.123.729&rep=rep1&type=pdf

For example, consider this "Doctor, Doctor" joke:

Patient: "Doctor, Doctor! Every time I take a sip of tea, my eye hurts!" Doctor: "Did you try taking the spoon out of the cup first?"

A patient in a doctor's office sets up the idea of what a doctor is for - giving information about known disorders, diagnosing health problems for those who are less knowledgeable about physiology, and administering appropriate professional treatment. However, the punchline of this joke creates the unexpected image of a rather thoughtless person, whose actual problem is simply being silly enough to repeatedly injure themselves with the handle of a spoon.

Other jokes seem to work by relying on the audience's knowledge about a certain topic, and allowing the audience to make mental connections in relation to this knowledge. They re-iterate, exaggerate, or spotlight certain known features or generalizations about a topic. Examples of this are jokes based on perceptions of certain professions, locations, types of people, or ways of behaving.

An example is found in "blonde jokes", which rely on an idea that attractive women with blonde hair are less intelligent or more naive than other women. Blonde jokes are an example of jokes relying on stereotypes. Some jokes relying on stereotypes or generalizations are commonly considered harmless, inoffensive, and simply silly. Other jokes of this kind are considered offensive due to concerns such as racism, sexism, or the use of topics which should not be considered a source of humor.

Many styles of jokes can also overlap with another source of humor: the concept of superiority. Some jokes are asking the audience to find amusement in a perceived flaw or inferiority in a person or group. . http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.123.729&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Jokes based on superiority or inferiority can also work the other way: Many comedians rely on self-depreciating humor. This highlights a fault or flaw of the person telling the joke, and presents a humorous description or situation in relation to it.

The appropriateness or inappropriateness of any joke can depend on the situation, context, timing, and culture that it exists in, as well as numerous other factors.