The Elements of Humor

The Elements of Humor

focus on comic characters, situations, and wordplay. Humor often depends on some

combination of these THREE elements.

Although we all laugh at funny people and

events, it can sometimes be difficult to

analyze SPECIFICALLY what makes

something funny. There are, however,

various “elements of humor.” Here are

some of the most important:

1. Comic characters and

caricatures

1. Comic characters and

caricatures:illustrate and focus on specific

features, traits, characteristics, and actions of a person or group of people

and make them humorous.

2. Comic situations comedy in which the comedic effect

depends chiefly upon the involvement of the main characters in a predicament

or ludicrous, complex circumstances 

--A character finds himself in a ludicrous

situation

A character “transports” in time

--The unexpected happens . .

.

3. Comic Language

a. one-liners . . .

. . . Campers: Nature's way of

feeding mosquitoes.

We live in a society where pizza gets to your house

before the police.

b. puns . . .

. . . I'm glad I know sign

language; it's pretty handy.

When William joined the army he disliked the phrase ‘fire at

will.’

c. hyperboles . . .

“She is so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a

Mexican phone company.”

"A man can have a belly you could house commercial aircraft in and a grand total of eight greasy strands of hair, which he grows real long and combs across the top of his head so that he looks, when viewed from above, like an

egg in the grasp of a giant spider, plus this man can have B.O. to the point where he interferes with radio

transmissions, and he will still be convinced that, in terms of attractiveness, he is borderline [Channing Tatum]."

- Dave Barry, Revenge of the Pork Person