1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb, and I'm Julie Douglas. Julie. 4 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: What are some words that, to you are inherently funny 5 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: or words and or things that just just say the 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: word instantly? It italystits black monkey, all right, that's a 7 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: good one. Pickle is good. Later hosing later hosing is 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:36,599 Speaker 1: really good. Poppy cock, poppy cock, that's a good one. 9 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: To sueech squeechy. Yeah you, um, well, let's see you 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: already took later hosing. I think later hos is a 11 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: good one. Cheese cheese is very funny. Um, you said monkey, Um, 12 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: you stole a lot of underwear. Underwear is always hilarious. Um. 13 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: And it's funny because a lot of these words will 14 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: pop up in children's books, which, of course I'm knee 15 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,320 Speaker 1: deep in with my toddler, so you know, I'm pretty 16 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: schooled in the funny words. Bugle is yeah, curious, George, 17 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: that one comes up, but you're talking about like an 18 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: obnoxious instrument or some sort of ridiculous corn snack. It's pretty, 19 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: which can be tasty, but also there are some words 20 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: that have a kind of joke within them or something likecalyptian, 21 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: which which means well formed buttocks. I had not heard 22 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: that one. Yeah, yeah, it's it's a great word. So 23 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: you know, you can say the ecalyptian so and so. 24 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: Uh if you're trying to get someone to compliment. I 25 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: suppose what is it an adjective? Yes, okay, yeah, and 26 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: calie from Greek beautiful and pig. I think that's how 27 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: you pronounce it is means buttocks or rump. Rump is 28 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: another good one. Rump is funny. Yeah. Yeah, So when 29 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: we're talking about what makes yeah right, I mean that 30 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: that spells fun right there. But talking about the funny 31 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: like what why are things funny? I don't know, because yeah, 32 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: because we're talking about the words that we're talking. What 33 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: are some words that are just not funny at all? Yes, 34 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: And the big one that came to mind that you 35 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: you came up with was table table, Like there's just 36 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: no way to make the word table funny, Like even 37 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: if you throw um other words onto it, like you could, 38 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: you know, sex, table, clown table, clown table, it's still 39 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 1: sounds kind of It's like alright, well, clowns kind of funny. 40 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, they're just for elements, which is part of 41 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: what we found out in our research about what makes 42 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: things funny. You have to have sometimes desperate elements like that, 43 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: but still it's not funny. And it was It's interesting 44 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: because I was looking back at an episode from This 45 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: American Life in which it's called Tough Room, in which 46 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: they visited the editorial offices of The Onion, which is, 47 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: you know, spoof magazine, which is incredibly funny, at least 48 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: to me. Um, And what they found out is that 49 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: during the editorial meeting whether mock headlines are pitched, that 50 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: there's only one laugh for every one hundred jokes that 51 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: are told. This out here they are pitching this and 52 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: maybe that's part of it because you know, this is 53 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: their job and they're doing it every week and so 54 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: but still, yeah, they're seriously jaded. But um, you know, 55 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: they published sixteen stories a week with sixteen mock headlines, 56 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,839 Speaker 1: and to get to those sixteen headlines, they go through 57 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: six hundred possible headlines to figure out what is funny. 58 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: And I was like, you know, I wonder why why 59 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: that is? Like why are some combinations funnier? Than other 60 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 1: and others, and then I looked into it and I 61 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 1: was looking at some of their best off and one 62 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: of their best ofs was kitten thinks of nothing but 63 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: murder all day. See now that one didn't do much 64 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: for me. I don't know really, well they have. Part 65 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: of it was that the cute photo of the kitten, 66 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: which you you know again desperate elements murder kitten, No, no, 67 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: not really all right, Well, in that episode two, they 68 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: were talking about how the headline local girlfriend always wants 69 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: to do stuff. Okay, that makes the cut, but you 70 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: know it doesn't make the cut. In the same session, 71 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: is Nation's Girlfriends all for more quality time? Funny? No, no, 72 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: it's the first one got the laugh and everybody the 73 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: second one actually got jeers. But kittens was a hit. 74 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: Kittens obviously was a hit. Made it it's it's it's 75 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: a hit. A lot of people's top ten lists. Interesting, yeah, yeah, 76 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: um but just to throw some stats at this and 77 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: why we're looking at this, um uh, it's just it's 78 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: very interesting to think about why we laugh from evolutionary sense, right, yeah, 79 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: like what why why don't we do it? Why is 80 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: it such a phenomenon? Like what purpose does it serve? 81 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 1: We do it all the time. We love it. Some 82 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: people live for it, some people live to make other 83 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: people laugh. But what is what is actually going on? Semantically? 84 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: What's going on neutologically? Yeah, so that's what we're going 85 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: to discuss. That's what we're gonna talk about today. And 86 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: here are your stats too that we're gonna throw at you. 87 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: Only about eleven of daily laughter as a result of jokes. Now, 88 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: when you say jokes, do you mean because like we 89 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 1: we joke around in this podcast a lot, but it's 90 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 1: very rare that you go, hey, Julie, um not not. 91 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: You know, we don't do a lot of that. So 92 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: are we talking about strict joke jokes joking? Yeah, we're 93 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: talking about the formula jokes. So if you're sitting around 94 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: the water color and someone says, hey, you know, a 95 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: rabbi and a priest and whatever walks through a bar, 96 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: that kind of joke. So that only eleven percent, which 97 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: kind of makes sense, right because a lot of us 98 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: aren't sitting around the water cooler telling those kind of jokes, 99 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: the porched belt jokes. And then another seventeen is prompted 100 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: by media, you know, sort of like Hey, did you 101 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: see the clo l cator? Did you read the Sunion headline? 102 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: Did you watch this episode of thirty? Yeah? I did 103 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: you see this YouTube video? Or so on and so forth. 104 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: And the remaining seventy two percent arises spontaneously in social interactions. 105 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:41,359 Speaker 1: So like you and I sitting here and talking the 106 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: talking the pooh here, okay, talking the poo? Is that 107 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: the shouting the shoe? Shouting the shoes? Yeah, true shot. 108 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: I'm trying to avoid the expletip. But you know, I'm 109 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: saying just in um. And it turns out that that 110 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 1: we're not the only creatures that laugh. Eight and rats 111 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: lack too. Although I'm a little bit dubious about this, 112 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: this rats part, I have to say, um, this is 113 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: uh this This article says that like children, apes laugh 114 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: during chasing, wrestling and tickling games. Oh I guess I 115 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: have seen videos where you know, it looks like they're 116 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: wrestling around and it lives. It does look like the 117 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: yeah yeah. And it says chimps and gorillas who have 118 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: learned sign language have used it for punning and congruous 119 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: word use, which is interesting and playful insults. Intriguingly, it 120 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:32,280 Speaker 1: seems that rats may laugh too. This is this is 121 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: where I get dubious. A team of researchers at Bowling 122 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: Green State University reported in two thousand that rats produce 123 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: an ultrasonic chirping during play and went tickled by humans. 124 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: These chirps appear to be contagious, and young rats prefer 125 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: older rats who produce more of them. So, you know, again, 126 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: dubious there, But there's this idea of that, you know, 127 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: it's not just us that are sitting there having a chuckle, 128 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,359 Speaker 1: and then it's necessary to our existence on some level. 129 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: And we'll get back to more about tickling and in 130 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 1: a little bit. Tickling is very key. It's kind of 131 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: like the most simple version of a joke. Yes, but 132 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: but we'll we'll get to that in a minute. First, 133 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: let's let's talk about what's going on at the cognitive level. Yeah, 134 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: what's happening in the head to our brains when we're 135 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: having a laugh. Turns out that when we hear a joke, 136 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: our brains began to process that sequentially. Yeah, and I 137 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: found it interesting that you can when it when it's 138 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: following when your brain begins to to process this. They're 139 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: really sort of two types of jokes that and uh, 140 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: and those are on one hand, you have a semantic 141 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: jokes which relate to the meaning of words, and then 142 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: you have phonological or jokes or puns, which relate to 143 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: the way something sounds. And like the puns the example 144 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: I kept finding like it seems like everybody uses the 145 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: same pun joke in the scientific literature, which goes as follows, 146 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: Hey Julie, Hey Robert, why did the all for wear 147 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: two pairs of pants because they had a hole in one? Seeing? Yeah, 148 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: But the semantic jokes, that's where you get into like 149 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: a lot deeper area, um and where you end up 150 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: having onres like double andres and triple andres, which I've 151 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: always found really fascinating. Like here, like here's an example 152 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: of a of a triple on andre if I bother 153 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: to print out the full joke, Nope, I didn't drip 154 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: print out the full joke, So I'm just gonna try 155 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: and remember here, but a triple on andre Uh would 156 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: be like the joke where um, ladies pulled over by 157 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: highway patrolman and uh, and you know he comes up 158 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: to get her ticket and shoes like, oh, I bet 159 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 1: you're going to try and sell me a ticket to 160 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: the policeman's ball, and then the like a you know, 161 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: like a ball, like a gala okay, and then the 162 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: cop gets you know, your tat's like, policemen don't have balls. 163 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: So this is a triple on Andre because on one 164 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,199 Speaker 1: one see, and I was already laughing because you said ball, 165 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: and I was already made the association, to be quite honest, 166 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: but it's but here I'm I'm a dirty bird. Well 167 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna explain the joke and take all the humor 168 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: out of it. Um, policemen don't have balls, So you 169 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: can say that policemen do not and we're not making 170 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: any judgment. Great, but policemen don't have balls. One interpretation 171 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: presumably mails them. Yeah, well yeah, but policemen don't have 172 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: balls in the sense that they do not actually hold balls. 173 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: They don't have to have like masked events and like 174 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: yeah big masks. Yeah. But then it's also a shot 175 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: on the policeman's masculinity and also on his like his virility, 176 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: you know, and also on his courage. So um, there's 177 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: some also really good examples of triple and andres in 178 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: uh in Canterbury Tales. But I think they're all, oh, yeah, 179 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 1: that's yes. Yes, they're like, yeah, they're just too gross 180 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: to drag out. In this particular. I think they're on 181 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: the Millers shale or something. Yeah, but we'll have to 182 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: remember that because that's an important joke to come back 183 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 1: to later when we talk a little bit more about 184 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: philosophy behind jokes. Yeah, but but this is this is 185 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: interesting because like it it's kind of like a language 186 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: bomb where it's like three meanings roll up into wine, 187 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: hit your brain, and then your brain has to figure 188 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: it out. Yeah, especially when when you're talking about like 189 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: the double entendres um, your brain is trying to square 190 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: all these different ideas together. And so what you're seeing, 191 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: let me, let's just walk you really quickly through what's 192 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: actually happening in your head. Uh. So, the left hemisphere 193 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 1: begins to light up with language processing right, and this 194 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: includes the left and right posterior middle temporal gyrus and 195 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: the left posterior inferior temporal gyrus for semantic jokes as 196 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: you spoke about, and the left posterior inferior temporal gyrus 197 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: and left inferior frontal gyrus, which are associated with the puns. 198 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,959 Speaker 1: The phonetic processing. Then the joke is processed through the 199 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: nucleus accumbents in the ventral tegmental area. Both are part 200 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: of the mesa limbic pathway, which is associated with aggression, fear, laughter, addiction, pleasure, 201 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: and it also is connected, among other things, to the hippocampus, 202 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: which we know deals with memories. So there's a lot. 203 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,839 Speaker 1: It's like when this word bomb blows up, it really 204 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: ricochets through all the neural architecture. Yeah yeah, and then 205 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: it's hanging out to you in the magdala, which we 206 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,439 Speaker 1: know is associated with the emotions. So what I think 207 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: it is most interesting about this is just really hitting 208 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: that reward center of the brain. And so we're you know, 209 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:19,439 Speaker 1: we're talking about the reward circuits of the brain getting 210 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: in on the joke, which makes sense with some of 211 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: these philosophical theories about what's going on when we hear 212 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: a good like say, toilet humor joke. Right, yeah, So 213 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: let's talk about some of these philosophies because I think 214 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: it's interesting. Oh yeah, yeah, But but real quick, this 215 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: also makes makes sense. You know if you're hear like 216 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: a really long drawn out joke and you're you're like, 217 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: get to the punch line. I want to, you know, 218 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,079 Speaker 1: because I guess it's the reward center. You know, it's 219 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: like it's your rang Yeah, give it to me. Yeah yeah, 220 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,599 Speaker 1: I need a little dopamine release right now from them. 221 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: All right, So let's look at Yeah, it's the different 222 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: philosophical theories on jokes. Um. First of all, there's this 223 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 1: superiority theory of humor. Yes, and this is one that 224 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: has been a champion by Plato, Aristotle, uh, Thomas, Thomas 225 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: Hobbs and uh. And this is basically where we find 226 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: the misfortune of others really amusing. This is like slapstick 227 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: guys getting hit in the head. This is on a 228 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: more well slightly cerebral level. You have like cringe comedies 229 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: where where people are making all sorts of either they're 230 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 1: not falling on their face literally, then they're doing so 231 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: figuratively in say an episode of the Office or something. Right, Okay, 232 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: yeah yeah yeah yeah. That can make you really uncomfortable, 233 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:31,559 Speaker 1: right right. Uh And speaking of uncomfortable, the next kind 234 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: is relief theory. And of course Sigmund Freud is a 235 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 1: big champion, was a big champion of this, and this 236 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: states that comedy is a way for people to release 237 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:44,199 Speaker 1: suppress thoughts and emotions safely. Yeah. I actually read something 238 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: about the game Peekaboo that kids play toddler's play, and 239 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,079 Speaker 1: about how this is sort of like a mastering your 240 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: own uncertainty. And it's the same sort of aspect of 241 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: you keep playing Peekaboo with someone and they disappear, and 242 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: that's this object permanence thinking that all this stuff with 243 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: child development. But basically what it's saying is that you 244 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 1: feel you're you're playing the game with someone disappearing in 245 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: this uncertainty and then coming back and there's the relief, right, 246 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: So you're sort of working out all these feelings in 247 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: a safe environment. Right. And it also allows like the 248 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: exploration of taboo subjects or just sort of crude things 249 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: like fart, jokes, good stuff. And then we have incongruity 250 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: theory UM, which is generally associated with Immanuel Kent, and 251 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: it suggests that jokes happen because people notice the disconnect 252 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: between their expectations and the actual payoff. Yeah, and um, 253 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: like like nonsense humor tends to fall into this where 254 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: something something happens that that doesn't make a lick of sense, 255 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: and it's it creates ambiguity creates ambiguity, like like Monty 256 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: Python is often put up as an example of this. Yeah, 257 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: or a simple set up like a woman and a 258 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: duck walk into a bar. Right, there's two disparate elements. 259 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: I don't know the end of that joke, and I 260 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: apologize if I know, right, see, sorry about that. No 261 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: dopamine for you. But um, but I mean that's the setup, 262 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: Like your brain is automatically like what a woman, a 263 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: duck a bar. That's that's the ambiguity. But going back 264 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:15,959 Speaker 1: to your your policeman ball balls joke, Um there, I 265 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: thought was interesting that the whole superiority there, Stottle that 266 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: that type of joke, because here you have, uh, it's 267 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: an authority, right, a policeman, and you're sort of leveling 268 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: the playing field by making fun of this policeman's masculinity. Yeah, 269 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: and he's the one who's tricked into saying he has 270 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: no ball, so it's yeah, it's he's he's made a 271 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: fool out of himself as well. Yeah. So I mean, 272 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: I just think these philosophers are really interesting when you 273 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: start to you know, of course we're taking part of 274 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: the joke, which is never funny. Um. I mean, I 275 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: think there's there's a quote about like dissecting humors about 276 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: as funny as dissecting a frog, you know, uh, and 277 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: the frog dies. So but there is this one guy. 278 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: There's always going to be that one guy, that one 279 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: gal who is looking for the reason why we do 280 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: what we do. And in this instance, there's a man 281 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: named Peter McGraw. He's a professor of marketing and psychology 282 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and he heads up 283 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: the Humor Research Lab or HURL for short, um, and 284 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: he's trying to create a grand unified theory of humor. 285 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: And we'll talk about that in a moment right after 286 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 1: this break. This presentation is brought to you by Intel 287 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: Sponsors of Tomorrow. All Right, we're back with the with 288 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: the Grand Unified Theory of humor, which which I just 289 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: I just imagine like these uh, these different scientists like 290 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: standing around like in clown wigs and uh and and 291 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: like just is furiously working in laboratories with site gags. Well, 292 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: what is funny about this is that this research lab 293 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: they pretty much do everything that you could ever think 294 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: of to asked out what makes something funny like they 295 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: actually even get some of their subjects high on mary 296 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: Jouanna and these are people who are in who are 297 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: using it legally for medical purposes. Yeah yeah, yeah, So UM, 298 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: that's important to talk about so that that doesn't get 299 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: rated after someone ss the podcast UM or people start 300 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: calling up saying, dude, they're not really any be part 301 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: of this experiment. Um, but yeah. I mean they're sitting 302 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: there playing like hot tub time machine with you know, 303 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: the control group which is not high, and the medical 304 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: marijuana UM subjects, and trying to figure out if duh, 305 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: you know, if this this drug would make something funnier. 306 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: And they're actually even like having some people watch it 307 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: from you know, a certain distance and then another distance 308 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: from the TV to the two the eyes to see 309 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: if that makes it funnier. So every single thing that 310 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: you could think of, their trying to test about what 311 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: makes something funny, including like the distance in which you 312 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: watch an action unfold, which is kind of nuts. So 313 00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: like if you watch somebody do something stupid if you're 314 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: and close to them versus we watching them far away. Well, 315 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: and this is more for UM for for media, right, 316 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: so for if you're watching something on the internet or 317 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: something on the TV, and again this is you know, 318 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: you have to look at this. This is a guy 319 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: who is professor of marketing and psychology, so obviously he's 320 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: going to be using whatever findings he has for marketing purposes. 321 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 1: And since you know, internet is a huge part of 322 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: the way that we consume our comedy these days, you know, 323 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 1: obviously they're going to be some people who are going 324 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: to buy into this research eventually. So that means, you know, 325 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to talk about the bottom line here. 326 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: It's usually money that's motivating this, but they're big work 327 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: is this unit unified theory. This unified theory is just 328 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: funny because it's almost like the theory of everything when 329 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: we talk about string theory, because because like in that, 330 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,440 Speaker 1: we're talking about all these different theories about how the 331 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: universe works, and they don't all work in unison. They 332 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: can each sort of they can describe aspects of the 333 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 1: universe and on the full picture. So the argument here 334 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: is like the superiority theory, the relief theory, the incongruity theory, 335 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: these are all great and they can describe large sections 336 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 1: of humor, and they can describe like whole um, you know, 337 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: whole TV shows, but they're not a unified theory of 338 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: what's going on. Yeah, they're not. There's not everything wrapped 339 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,640 Speaker 1: up into one. But this dude says that there there 340 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: is this unified theory and is called the benign violation theory. Yeah, 341 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: and like most things, it seems it relates. Uh, it 342 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: manages to explain everything through a Venn diagram, which if 343 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: you're if you're not familiar with the I'm sure you've 344 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 1: seen them in infographics on not really infographics or just 345 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: graphics on the internet. Um, but it's like two big 346 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 1: circles and they're overlapping just a little bit, and where 347 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: the two circles overlap, that's where the magic happens and 348 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: whatever is being described. Yeah, and actually there's a great 349 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 1: visual on why are this is one of one of 350 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: the pieces of research that led us to this and 351 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 1: the article is called One Professor's Attempt to Explain Every 352 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: Joke Ever told. And that's that's where you can actually 353 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: see this diagram, which is you know, again funny that 354 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: they're even applying a Venn diagram to it. Yeah, but 355 00:18:58,560 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: but it but it sums it up really nicely. Be 356 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,639 Speaker 1: is in this then diagram like you don't have to 357 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: look at it. In fact, don't look at it. Just 358 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: listen to me. Um. Two big circles walk into a bar, 359 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: two big circles. One is labeled um violation and one 360 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: is labeled benign. Now, when we're talking benign, we're talking 361 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: like the word table um um table table is the 362 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: most benign thing we could come up with. But things 363 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,639 Speaker 1: that are not threatening to us, things that are maybe 364 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: just you know, they're normal, they're not even, they're not 365 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: really funny. And the nothing in each circle is funny harm, right, 366 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 1: you're not gonna create any harm. They're just benign, all right. 367 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: Then you have the violation um circle and not everything 368 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:43,120 Speaker 1: in the in the violation circle is inherently funny, but 369 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: but can become funny. Um. So these are things like 370 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: violations of personal dignity, of linguistic norms, like somebody has 371 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 1: an unusual accent, you know, in personal dignity would be 372 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: like slapstick physical deformities, you know, and like slapsticking in 373 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,679 Speaker 1: like banana peel jokes, right, like slipping out of an 374 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: an appeal. Social norms like you know, just anybody behaving 375 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 1: strangely moral norms people doing things that are entirely disrespectful 376 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:15,479 Speaker 1: or or just outrageously awful. Um and uh and and 377 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,959 Speaker 1: so that's the violation sphere. And when these two overlap, 378 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 1: well you have something that is that is at once 379 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: benign and a violation. That's where the humor happens. So 380 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 1: you could have something that in life where it truly 381 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: is threatening, but when you overlay it with something that's benign, 382 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: you take the threat out of it, and you still 383 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: have the taboo, and then you get the funny, right right, okay. 384 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,199 Speaker 1: And so they use the example of Sarah Silverman, you know, 385 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: to say this is a perfect example of b VT, 386 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 1: which I thought was funny because she really deals in 387 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: some very awkward territory in which she talks about sexual abuse, incest, 388 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: so on and so forth. Best reality with I mean, 389 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 1: she has a cute little dog that oftentimes she makes 390 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: some inferences that are awful. It's disgusting. Sometimes she's really 391 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:05,959 Speaker 1: into toilet humor too, but she gets away with it 392 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: because she's cute and she comes off I mean, her 393 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,360 Speaker 1: persona anyway is one of kind of a dunce. Well, yeah, 394 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: they they say the the professor says that she can 395 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,440 Speaker 1: say these appalling things because it registers has been known 396 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 1: because she she seems so oblivious to their offensiveness, so 397 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: she's downplaying in a sense. And then he says, because 398 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: she's so darn cute. Yeah. So, um, it's really interesting 399 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: to look at it that way. And what's like like 400 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 1: like even things that are truly horrible like cancer. You know, 401 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: it's like in the it's definitely in the violations sphere 402 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: of things. But but but it can cross over into 403 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 1: that area where it can in theory. I mean, I 404 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: don't have any examples, but I mean you hear comedians 405 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: joke about cancer, You hear them joke about I mean, 406 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 1: you name it, and no matter how horrible it is, 407 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: I guarantee somebody has made a joke about it. Well 408 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: what do you allen? Who said once or something like 409 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: tragedy plus time equals comedy. So there has to be 410 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: that distance, yes, And and I think that's that's what 411 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: really is we're going to continue to discuss here. I 412 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: think that's what's really awesome about about comedy and about 413 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: what this this theory um seems to to point to 414 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,439 Speaker 1: as far as this, this this convergence area, this be 415 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 1: nine violation area. But but real quick back to table 416 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 1: one thing. You are so intrigued the table. Well, it's 417 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 1: like like, like I said, everything in the violation area 418 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: can conceivably become comedy. I think, but can, but I don't. 419 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 1: I have this feeling that not everything in the benign 420 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 1: can become comedy. Yeah, yeah, Like what would you have 421 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: to start out funny? Well, you'd have to be tickled 422 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 1: on a table, right, I don't know. Maybe Okay, if 423 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: we're a gurney, Yes, a gurney could be funny, but 424 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 1: a gurney is no longer at has tragedy associated with Yeah, right, 425 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: so that's the violation where a table is just to 426 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 1: just empty of meaning. Yeah, and you and you're right, 427 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: you always are going to have to go to the 428 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 1: to the violation category first and then overlay the line 429 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: I think. I don't know, I say always, not being 430 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 1: a humorologist, but yeah, like like table not funny, sex, 431 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: table not funny sex, gurney funny sex, gurnee awesome and 432 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: a good name for a band. But let's talk about tickling, Okay, Yes, 433 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: tickling is is a great example of violation in benign 434 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: hitting each other because you're being tickled and you're laughing 435 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: if you're ticklish. If you're not ticklish, you're something's wrong 436 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 1: with you. But but you're being tickled and you're just 437 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: laughing your face off. But at the same time you're like, 438 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: don't do it. Stop it tickled me anymore. But like, 439 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: so what's going on there? Because I'm I'm enjoying it 440 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:50,160 Speaker 1: yet I'm hating it. It's it's this weird um combination 441 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: of things. Okay, well this this is from the article. 442 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: They say that even tickling, longest stumbling block for humor theorists, 443 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 1: appears to fit into this BBT. Tickling yourself can't be 444 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 1: a violation because you can't take yourself by surprise. Being 445 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: tickled by a stranger and a trench coat isn't benign. 446 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:09,360 Speaker 1: It's creepy. I would agree with that. Only tickling by 447 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: someone you know and trust can be of a nine violation. Yeah, 448 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: all right, so that makes sense, right because you already 449 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: have this sort of um communication between each other or 450 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 1: trust level. It's not creepy. And that reminds me, wasn't there. 451 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 1: There's a politician who I think the last year or 452 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: so got some hot water because he tickled one of 453 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: his aids, which was, that's a situation we're sure you 454 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 1: know that someone, that's someone, but you're not completely inappropriate 455 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: in the workplace in case ticklegate and they really Yeah, 456 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,400 Speaker 1: it got a lot of traction actually because I mean 457 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,880 Speaker 1: tis well no, but really a meaning just coming by 458 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: and tickling us. Yeah, that would be weird. Or if 459 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: you saw you have you were to see your boss 460 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: tickle somebody work, you'd be like, what kind of relationship 461 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 1: is that? And I did have a boss actually, but 462 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: that's for an entirely that's not even for the podcast. 463 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,439 Speaker 1: Um yeah, well he did. Yeah, he tickled people. He 464 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,879 Speaker 1: actually asked people to smell his milk to to make 465 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: sure it hadn't gone rancid. Wait I didn't last there 466 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: very long. Um So anyway, what this all ties into 467 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: this whole violation thing and this benign violation and trust 468 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: and not trust ties into what they say the ultimate 469 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: takeaway of McGraw's um studies are is that the evolutionary 470 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,439 Speaker 1: purpose of laughter and amusement is to signal to the 471 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: world that a violation is indeed okay. Building on the 472 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: work of behavioral neurologists vs. Ramachandran, we talked about him before. 473 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,719 Speaker 1: It's a lot of really interesting stuff. Mc graw believes 474 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: that laughter developed as an instinctual way to signal that 475 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 1: a threat is actually a false. Alarmed say that a 476 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: rustle in the bushes is in the wind, but not 477 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: a saber tooth tiger, right, so it's the wind, not 478 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: not a tiger. Well like that. The classic example that 479 00:25:57,600 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: comes to mind isn't you're you're watching a horror movie. Yeah, 480 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 1: and they do the typical like something jumps out and 481 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: you're like, everybody already freaks out, and then you see, oh, 482 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: it was just the wind blowing, and it's a really 483 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 1: cheap horror movie effect. But then everybody laughs be like, 484 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 1: oh that was nothing. It's the relief part, right, So 485 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: which is the Freudian film you know, philosophy behind that. 486 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: But you can imagine like some primordial hunters like out 487 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 1: you know, on on the grass and something, some they're 488 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: selling this movement and they freak out and they lift 489 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: their stone weapons to to to to beat it away, 490 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: to hack it to pieces, and it's just you know, 491 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 1: it's just the wind. It's it's where it's their their 492 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 1: scout coming back from the other side of the hill 493 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:40,439 Speaker 1: and they're like, oh, you know, sort of laughing at yourself. 494 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 1: So it's laughing the situation, laughing at yourself. UM. But 495 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,199 Speaker 1: one of the things that we thought was really interesting 496 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: about it is, particularly in this instance of UM an 497 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: evolutionary sense, is how is it you socially? I mean, 498 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 1: we've seen arguments before. I'm sure you've seen it to 499 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:02,240 Speaker 1: where where something escalates between two people, and it's pretty 500 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: common that one person will say something humorous to sort 501 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: of try to negate the escalation of the argument. So 502 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 1: humor is definitely used in a social way as a 503 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 1: sort of social contract to say, you know what, this 504 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: is a false threat. Don't worry. I'm not going to 505 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,280 Speaker 1: hurt you. You're not going to hurt me. Um. But 506 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:22,679 Speaker 1: we also wanted to look at it in a wider sense, 507 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,880 Speaker 1: and it reminded us of this bit in the book 508 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 1: called Freaking Omics that sort of examines you know, the 509 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,159 Speaker 1: underlying um this is the thing having to do with 510 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 1: clu Klux Klan And what they found is that, uh, 511 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 1: well it's kind of a long story, but basically there's 512 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 1: just one guy who infiltrated the k k K and 513 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: the nineteen forties, Yeah, and everybody sing with Clux Klan, 514 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: I would imagine, But this is the white supremacist group 515 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:52,719 Speaker 1: that grew out of a right right And actually they 516 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:54,640 Speaker 1: got the idea for the sheets over the head from 517 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:59,199 Speaker 1: the film Presive Nation. Okay, but anyway, this guy, he 518 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: sort of went under cover and he hung out with 519 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: klu Klux Klan for a very long time and he 520 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 1: figured out all of their passwords and all of their 521 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,199 Speaker 1: different secrets with secret handshakes. And by the way, this 522 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: is a really goofy organization. Yeah. I was looking through 523 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: one of their manuals once because like an old manual 524 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 1: that like, yeah, my family came from the South, so 525 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: at some point in the past, like some old uncle 526 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:25,440 Speaker 1: or great great uncle was involved in it. And yeah, 527 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 1: so so I ended up getting to touch this like 528 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 1: crumbling manual and it is the goofiest thing you ever saw. 529 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: I mean not to dis that. That's the thing about 530 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: goofy and humor that because because at one level you 531 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:39,479 Speaker 1: can't discount that these guys terrists. But on the other hand, 532 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 1: they were calling themselves the clu Klux Klan, and they 533 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:45,040 Speaker 1: had words like that, something like the grand Clue clay Gold. 534 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: They all have these ridiculous titles. And I've subsequently read 535 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: that like words that have the clock sound in it 536 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: or the cuss sound are inherently funny. That's why clown 537 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: is inherently funny. Um, And that's why. And you've got clocks. Yeah, 538 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: cloths was like a cluck and I mean that's just right. 539 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: So they were really asking for it. They were completely 540 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: asking for it in the sense to be made fun of, um, 541 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: and also to be brought down. Really, but they even 542 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: had like a secret handshake that had like a fish 543 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: wiggle or something. I mean, really, it doesn't get any 544 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:19,800 Speaker 1: any sillier than that anyway. So this insider found out 545 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: all this information. Um, he was trying to figure out 546 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: what do I do with this information to make it 547 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: most effective. He did a couple of different things, but 548 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: then he figured out, what, you know, the only way 549 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: to really bring them to their knees as an organization 550 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 1: is to take the secrecy out of what they were doing. 551 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: And so he fed all the information that he had 552 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: amassed the producers of a radio show Superman actually, and 553 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: it was the Superman, the Superman radio show in the forties, 554 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: and he said, why don't we do a series that's 555 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 1: called Superman versus the Clan, and they were like, yeah, 556 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: let's let's go for it. And so he wove all 557 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: of those secrets, the handshakes, the passwords, so on and 558 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 1: so forth, the coding into the narrative. And so what 559 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: ultimately was their demise is that all of a sudden 560 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: they heard this being broadcast and they realized that they 561 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: were not a super secret organization anymore. They could not 562 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 1: um move in the ways that they had moved before, 563 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: and so that essentially sort of grounded them. But not 564 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: only that, but they saw was that their kids were 565 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: playing out the drama of what they were doing, and 566 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 1: some of them were pretending to be Superman vanquishing the 567 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 1: klu Klux Klan, and that you know, some of them 568 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: are tending to be the klu Klux Klan members with 569 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: sheets over their heads, and they were they basically are 570 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 1: making a mockery of the klu Klux Klan, which again 571 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: they were begging to be mocked right with, with all 572 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: of their myriad silly silliness there. But uh, this was 573 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: just really greatly um sort of hamstrong what they were 574 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: trying to do. And it's fascinating, it's it's it's indirect, 575 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 1: but it's humor that leveled the playing field. So you 576 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: drag something horrible out of this uh, out of the 577 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: sphere of of violation, bring it into that crossover between 578 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 1: violation and benign, and you can remove the terror from it. 579 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: You can remove the fear from it. Yes, because even 580 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: though yes, they did kill people absolutely um, and they 581 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 1: didn't do it very often, but they did it enough 582 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: to to make it a real threat to people. Right, 583 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: so they were a real threat. But you know what 584 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: was happening is that people were saying, really, these are 585 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: a bunch of cowards who put sheets over their heads 586 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:35,239 Speaker 1: and they're doing horrible things. And you know, they were 587 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: sort of calling them for what they were, and that 588 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: really took the power out of the structure. It reminds 589 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:44,480 Speaker 1: me like anytime I hear conversations about humor and get 590 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 1: into discussions of the nature of humor, I think back 591 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: to m Berto Eco's book The Name of the Rose, 592 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 1: which which deeply concerns humor. Um. They're like, there's the 593 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 1: whole plot about this missing UH book post Aristotle's the 594 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,120 Speaker 1: Second Book of Poetics, and UH, it contains all this 595 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 1: stuff about humor and there's a character in the book 596 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 1: that's very concerned about such a book falling into the 597 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 1: into the hands of the general population, or at least 598 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: the general monastic population. This monastery, this medieval monastery. Because 599 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: it if someone like Aristotle were to say humor is great, 600 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: then then where it is it? In do you end up? 601 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: You know, because when you laugh at something, you take 602 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 1: away its power. And so what what if what happens 603 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: when you when you laugh at at the church? What 604 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: happens when you laugh at God? Uh? That you know, 605 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 1: the power of humor to change society is uh is 606 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: pretty phenomenal. Um I was, I was running across looking 607 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: for other examples of this, and uh, I found an 608 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: interesting essay. They don't have to link in the accompanying 609 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:50,440 Speaker 1: blog post for this podcast, but they found that cartoons 610 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: mocking capitalism played a huge role in the rise of 611 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: socialism in the United States in the early twentieth century 612 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 1: because they're all these political cartoons and they were, you know, 613 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: they'd show the capitalist you know, creating all these like 614 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 1: fat cat capitalist, um, you know icons in the in 615 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:08,720 Speaker 1: the in the political cartoons, and they were and they 616 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: were using this to to drag this topic into the 617 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: into the comedic area, and and it helped, you know, 618 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: helped the rise of socialism. Well, we talked to you 619 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 1: about just even sitcom's Jefferson's or a family Archie Bunker. 620 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, he presented some horrible violations, right, um, 621 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: and yet there there was a benign factor because they 622 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 1: were making fun of Archie Bunker, you know, I mean 623 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: in a sense they were you know, he his he 624 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: had a sort of certain personal truth, but that truth 625 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 1: was sometimes silly. I mean, you know, obviously a lot 626 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:46,960 Speaker 1: of times silly when they shown that light on him. Yeah, 627 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: and so it sort of broke some of the barriers 628 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,160 Speaker 1: that you might not talk about in civilized conversation. Yeah. 629 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: And it also I think you do see examples too 630 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 1: of of what appears to be take up perceived violations 631 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: by some like things that it's some segments of the 632 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 1: population don't don't agree with. Like we were talking about 633 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: Modern Family, which is a current sitcom I think, and 634 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 1: I think it just wrapped up its second season, and 635 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:13,920 Speaker 1: and this shows some some traditionally non traditional families. I 636 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,759 Speaker 1: mean that I think each model is a lot more 637 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 1: common now, but but non traditional in the TV sense 638 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: because you have you have a gay couple that's adopted 639 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:24,920 Speaker 1: a child, so in that you have both both a 640 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: gay couple and an adoptive family which are both under reference. 641 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: Child is Vietnamese too. Yeah, so it's multily. It's also 642 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:34,840 Speaker 1: multi racial. Then you have like you know, then you 643 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,439 Speaker 1: have more you have another multi racial couple where there's 644 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:41,040 Speaker 1: also a big age difference, and and so you you 645 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 1: take these ideas which to some segments of the population 646 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:49,239 Speaker 1: would be considered violations and you but you move into 647 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 1: a mainstream comedic area and we're suddenly we can find 648 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: humor in these situations and it and it removes the sting. 649 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,720 Speaker 1: Right well, yeah, you you move lest from um looking 650 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: at something objectively and more to humanizing it right now. Um, now, 651 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 1: of course with all this so you have to you 652 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:08,919 Speaker 1: have to keep it. There's also sort of a chicken 653 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:11,440 Speaker 1: and egg thing with any of these topics because you you, 654 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:14,719 Speaker 1: on one hand, you can't say, oh, well, uh, the 655 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: Jefferson's changed, you know, changed the way we think about 656 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 1: race or something like that. I mean, that would be ridiculous. Um. 657 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 1: There's also a lot of mirroring where the the show 658 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,359 Speaker 1: is mirroring changing attitudes. So so it was so we're 659 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:30,680 Speaker 1: not arguing that these shows are are have just tremendous, 660 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 1: unparalleled power, but but I do think they tie into 661 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 1: into the role comedy plays in social change. Yeah, and 662 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,440 Speaker 1: just one quick sort of science note here too, is 663 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,360 Speaker 1: we came across this research. It was a dot com 664 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:48,800 Speaker 1: talk on humor and smiling specifically, and it was really interesting. 665 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:50,759 Speaker 1: It was this study they had a control group of 666 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,919 Speaker 1: people watching things that were funny and they would rate 667 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:55,800 Speaker 1: them from like one to five what they thought was funny. 668 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,800 Speaker 1: And then they had another group that had a pencil 669 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:00,880 Speaker 1: in their mouth, holding a pen in their mouth while 670 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 1: they watched and rated what they found. People with a 671 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:07,279 Speaker 1: pencil in their mouth, we're rating things less funny. The 672 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: reason is because of you're talking about this mirroring. Is 673 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 1: you know your mirror neurons. You're you're watching something and 674 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:19,680 Speaker 1: there's a really deep connection to mirroring other people's behaviors. 675 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:21,719 Speaker 1: So when you're watching something that's funny, you're going to 676 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,840 Speaker 1: start to smile, you start get to engage those muscles. 677 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:28,279 Speaker 1: When those muscles are inhibited, whether it's a pencil or 678 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:32,279 Speaker 1: botox injections, by the way, you're less able to empathize. 679 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: So again you've got comedy is something which is you 680 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:39,959 Speaker 1: know this this uh, this great unifier that really can 681 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 1: allow people to better understand different perspectives and sort of 682 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,240 Speaker 1: you know. Also, do not trust a superhero who covers 683 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:50,439 Speaker 1: up his mouth like Batman. You can see his mouth 684 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: so you can be able to he's going to be 685 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,920 Speaker 1: able to understand people more. But Spider Man, I don't 686 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 1: know what's going on. You What about a joker? He's 687 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:00,920 Speaker 1: smiling all the time. You can't tell what's going on, right, 688 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: It's it's like botox in a way. Yeah, um, but 689 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 1: there you go. That's that's that's a well. It makes 690 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:10,359 Speaker 1: me think too of laughter yoga, which you're opposed to, right, 691 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:13,800 Speaker 1: I'm absolutely opposed to laughter. I have practice yoga for 692 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,759 Speaker 1: a number of years, but yes, laughter yoga. And my 693 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,400 Speaker 1: wife also is uh. I think she's at least on 694 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: the fence about it or she doesn't like it, one 695 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:24,600 Speaker 1: or the other. But laughter yoga is where you where 696 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:27,959 Speaker 1: a yoga group will will we'll start laughing. And again 697 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: it's fake at first. I mean it's very fake because 698 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: there's generally not that much funny in a yoga class, 699 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:38,360 Speaker 1: unless you know somebody farts, right, but but because we 700 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:41,320 Speaker 1: can normally and I'm not going to talk about farts 701 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 1: in in this podcast, but you know it's a human podcast. 702 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 1: But anyway, um, yoga people will suddenly they'll start laughing. 703 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,000 Speaker 1: They'll be like ha ha ha ha, and then everybody's laughing, 704 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:54,800 Speaker 1: and then eventually the laughing laughter becomes real laughter because 705 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,680 Speaker 1: it's awful. That's why there's no other choice but to laugh. 706 00:37:57,800 --> 00:37:59,319 Speaker 1: It's like, you know what I don't like about it. 707 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:03,200 Speaker 1: It's like tickling yourself. Yeah, it's just not it's weird 708 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:06,800 Speaker 1: and I don't like to be forced into tickling myself 709 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,720 Speaker 1: or laughter. I have to tell you just for the record, Okay, 710 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 1: just just for the record, got you, And now you're 711 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 1: not gonna make me take a tickling or tickling yoga class, 712 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:18,680 Speaker 1: a laughing yoga class. But just should started kick it off? 713 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 1: All right? Well, hey, um, I guess it's time for 714 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:26,920 Speaker 1: listener mail hull. The first thing I'm actually going to 715 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,600 Speaker 1: hit here is not really listener mail per se, but 716 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:34,360 Speaker 1: I listener feedback. Well, well that they haven't listened to 717 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:37,160 Speaker 1: the podcast yet, so I don't know. This is we're 718 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:41,319 Speaker 1: really playing with causality all right, mysterio. But since I've 719 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:45,799 Speaker 1: along with Holly Frey, one of our our tech editor here, 720 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:49,160 Speaker 1: I've started contributing to the main house stuff works Twitter 721 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,200 Speaker 1: and Facebook accounts, which are just how stuff works on Twitter, 722 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:55,799 Speaker 1: how stuff works on Facebook, and I'll label those with 723 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 1: my name. But I was researching, we were researching for 724 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:00,520 Speaker 1: this podcast yesterday, so I decided to call out to 725 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:03,080 Speaker 1: the readers there. It's like, hey, guys, what are some 726 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: words that you words or things that you find inherently funny? 727 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:17,880 Speaker 1: And that's so I'm gonna read a few of them. Uh, pigeonhole, bush, ugly, bald, nostril, nut, laugh, groin. 728 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: I would like to add the groin itches is even funnier. Cheeks, 729 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 1: Harry Duke, feces, chipmunk, milk, toast, male slot, pumpernickel, spoon, garbonzo. 730 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,560 Speaker 1: I think carbonzo is especially funny, and that it's such 731 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:40,360 Speaker 1: a it sounds really elegant for what it is, you know, 732 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:42,120 Speaker 1: it's like just like a little I don't know, it 733 00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: seems like a character, like a Tom and Jerry character 734 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 1: to me, Like, I don't know, hob nob Schnitzel. Schinzel 735 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,919 Speaker 1: is pretty funny. There is a Chnitzel. The German food 736 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:55,279 Speaker 1: is really big and hunts fill Alabama because of like 737 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:59,279 Speaker 1: the NASA there and German population that moved there after 738 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,960 Speaker 1: the war. And uh, and there there was actually was 739 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:04,880 Speaker 1: like a former dairy queen like fast food restaurant that 740 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 1: had been turned into a fast food schnitzel restaurant. It's 741 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 1: called the Schnitzel Farm. And they're like, that's a great 742 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:12,759 Speaker 1: combination of words right there. Uh, muck is another one 743 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:17,680 Speaker 1: that was suggested. Banana poop, moose and moist. Is ointment 744 00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:20,839 Speaker 1: just awkward or is it funny? Ointment is funny? Okay, well, yeah, 745 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:24,560 Speaker 1: it's a violation, right awkward? Kume quiet is also pretty funny. Yeah, 746 00:40:24,719 --> 00:40:27,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot of good ones there. Uh. We should 747 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:29,880 Speaker 1: probably hear from people to about what they think is 748 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 1: the funniest words. Uh, yeah that they've heard. Yeah that 749 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:35,480 Speaker 1: I would be Yeah, if I would, I would read 750 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:38,840 Speaker 1: one more list of of of words after you know, 751 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:42,600 Speaker 1: a couple of podcasts. Yeah, um, well, let's read one 752 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:44,920 Speaker 1: one quick listener mail before we close it out. Here 753 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:48,279 Speaker 1: an actual listener mail. Eric writes then and says, uh, 754 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:51,799 Speaker 1: your in your intro to your Dad's podcast, we did 755 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:55,440 Speaker 1: a Dad's of The Animal Kingdom episode for Claud's Day. Um, 756 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 1: you made me think of this joke. I hope you 757 00:40:57,600 --> 00:40:59,920 Speaker 1: like it. So this is very timely beca this joke. Right. 758 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:02,440 Speaker 1: A dog walks into a bar in Texas with a 759 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:07,319 Speaker 1: heavy bandage on his foot. The bartender, played by Randy Jackson, says, yo, dog, 760 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,440 Speaker 1: what's up? The dog replies, I'm looking for the man 761 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:15,479 Speaker 1: who shot my paw. Ah, Eric, I hope you liked it. 762 00:41:15,719 --> 00:41:18,879 Speaker 1: If not us, If not, say so, I'll send you 763 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:22,960 Speaker 1: no more jokes. No, no, send them them. But I can't. 764 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:27,040 Speaker 1: I mean, yes, that made me kind of, that made 765 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:29,399 Speaker 1: me GoF, But still I love it. Yeah, there's nothing 766 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:31,280 Speaker 1: like a that's a weird thing. It's like the jokes 767 00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:35,600 Speaker 1: that I generally don't get to hear, actual joke jokes 768 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,560 Speaker 1: unless they're really bad jokes. Like those are the Those 769 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 1: are the jokes actually want to hear. They're really cringe 770 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 1: worthy bad jokes. Yeah, yeah, it's good stuff. I have 771 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:44,560 Speaker 1: to say I have a soft spot my heart for 772 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:47,839 Speaker 1: John Riggles because awful if he is he really is. Yeah, 773 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:51,200 Speaker 1: but anyway, that's he's a really nice man in life. 774 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 1: He's not, he's not he's not my dad. Long story, 775 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:57,040 Speaker 1: but my dad had dinner with him and he said 776 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: it was it's like, you know, getting grilled, and yeah, 777 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:03,200 Speaker 1: I roasted. I love the bid where he talks about 778 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 1: the night Frank Sinatra saved his life. Oh, I've not 779 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 1: heard that. Well, he was. He was doing the stand 780 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:10,120 Speaker 1: up bit and this was played back in the day, 781 00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:12,880 Speaker 1: you know, the rat pack days though, and U and 782 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:15,920 Speaker 1: he sees Frank is sitting there with his cronies, you know, 783 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:18,480 Speaker 1: on the front front row. So Don rickles as an 784 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:21,759 Speaker 1: insult comedian, so he cares into Frank a little bit 785 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:24,880 Speaker 1: and uh, and he says, and you know, he's like, 786 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:26,560 Speaker 1: you know, I guess he'll have he'll be a good sport, 787 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 1: don't know, tear into about bit. So he makes fun 788 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:30,600 Speaker 1: and Frank a little bit. But after the show, Frank 789 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:34,279 Speaker 1: Sinatra ends up saving his life because some he goes 790 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:36,760 Speaker 1: out into the alley and these guys start just beating 791 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:39,399 Speaker 1: the crap out of him, and Frank Sinatra comes out 792 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:41,680 Speaker 1: and he's like, that's enough, boys, he's had enough, or 793 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:44,680 Speaker 1: that's good boys, he's had enough. Yeah, okay, So I'm 794 00:42:44,719 --> 00:42:48,600 Speaker 1: not gonna say mafia or anything or planned to have 795 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:51,680 Speaker 1: him beat up an alley or anything like that and 796 00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:54,880 Speaker 1: then save life. But I'm sorry, Frank Sinatra. You know 797 00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:56,640 Speaker 1: he had a couple of boys go out there. Yeah. 798 00:42:56,680 --> 00:42:59,760 Speaker 1: Well yeah, that's that's why it's funny, because he clearly 799 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:04,160 Speaker 1: he had somebody beat up down racles. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, 800 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:08,160 Speaker 1: if you have any thoughts on humor, um what you 801 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:10,880 Speaker 1: find funny and and certainly just trying to figure out 802 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:14,600 Speaker 1: how humor works? Uh, do let us know. You can 803 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:17,080 Speaker 1: find us on Facebook and Twitter as blow the Mind. 804 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,000 Speaker 1: We're on there all the time. Yeah. And do you 805 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:22,719 Speaker 1: agree with this benign violation theory? Do you think that 806 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,239 Speaker 1: it is the grand unified theory of humor? Let us 807 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:32,960 Speaker 1: know at below the Mind at how stuff works dot com. 808 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:35,600 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff 809 00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:38,279 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we 810 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:41,880 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.