An Anatomy of HumorHumor permeates every aspect of society and has done so for thousands of years. People experience it daily through television, newspapers, literature, and contact with others. Rarely do social researchers analyze humor or try to determine what makes it such a dominating force in our lives. The types of jokes a person enjoys contribute significantly to the definition of that person as well as to the character of a given society. Arthur Asa Berger explores these and other related topics in An Anatomy of Humor. He shows how humor can range from the simple pun to complex plots in Elizabethan plays. Berger examines a number of topicsâ ethnicity, race, gender, politicsâ each with its own comic dimension. Laughter is beneficial to both our physical and mental health, according to Berger. He discerns a multiplicity of ironies that are intrinsic to the analysis of humor. He discovers as much complexity and ambiguity in a cartoon, such as Mickey Mouse, as he finds in an important piece of literature, such as Huckleberry Finn. An Anatomy of Humor is an intriguing and enjoyable read for people interested in humor and the impact of popular and mass culture on society. It will also be of interest to professionals in communication and psychologists concerned with the creative process. â This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who appreciates humor. It also belongs in the laboratories of psychological researchers investigating when and how we laugh.â â T. Cameron Wild, Contemporary Psychology â This is a significant book, and it will surely have a welcome place in any professional humor library.â â Don L. F. Nilsen, Humor |
From inside the book
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... Secret Agent . This presentation could be regarded as rather bizarre behavior on the part of a university professor ... secret agent on numerous occasions . As a matter of fact , my anthro- pologist mentor , Gregory Bateson , was a ...
Arthur Asa Berger. ciated with Secret Agents , who are envisioned as gray , somewhat dumpy , and of medium height , with a doughy flab under their chins ... Secret Agent secretiveness , Arthur is frequently found to be. X An Anatomy of Humor.
Arthur Asa Berger. Secret Agent secretiveness , Arthur is frequently found to be augmenting the impact of nature's ... Secret Agents have worse prospects . Is Berger to be politely , but firmly , escorted into some quiet nook where he can ...
... secret agent , the general meaning of the passage makes quite clear what Berger is all about in calling himself a Secret Agent . Further clarification is offered in his article entitled " Humor and Teaching . " " [ I suggest ) to my ...
... Secret Agent , I have set up a certain hazard , which I must now quickly and carefully destroy . That is the hazard of creating in the mind of the eagerly anticipating reader the impression that this book is , indeed , entirely a ...
Contents
1 | |
A Glossary of the Techniques of Humor Morphology of the JokeTale | 15 |
Anatomy of a Joke | 57 |
The Telephone Pole with the Braided Armpits Ethnic and Racial Jokes and American Society | 65 |
On Me You Cant Count An Interpretation of a Jewish Joke with Relevance to the Jewish Question | 75 |
Jewish Fools From the Wise Men of Chelm to Jackie Mason | 83 |
Mickey Mouse and Krazy Kat Of Mice and Men | 97 |
Comics and Popular Culture Not Just Kids Stuff | 107 |
Twelfth Night Comedic Techniques and Social Considerations | 133 |
Huckleberry Finn as a Novel of the Absurd Making Sense of an Existential Hero | 145 |
Healing with Humor A Laugh a Day Keeps the Doctor Away | 155 |
Comedy and Creation On the Generative Power of Humor | 163 |
Bibliography | 175 |
Names Index | 181 |
Subject Index | 185 |
Jokes and Humorous Texts Index | 191 |