Humor Analysis 101 by Sophy Laughing

The bogus logic we see in life trickles into every aspect of living, including into the jokes we tell and the comics we see and read. Why we laugh has long been a debate of philosophers and other academicians, but applying logic to humor cuts through the haze of ambiguity and double-talk, exposing the joke for its meaning rather than its reception. 

Presuming comedy is defined as applied humor whereby we laugh together rather than at one another, analyzing a joke for its logical content allows us to determine if the joke falls under the category of comedy or something different, such as tragedy or drama, which is often times described as having a comic twist. The comic twist in a tragedy, for example, does not reclassify Hamlet as a comedy. 


Directing logic toward the joke to better understand the misconception helps us recognize faulty logic in humor and elsewhere in our lives, giving us an unique glimpse into the truth behind what we're being told. 


Comedians may benefit from an analytical review of their joke material to better understand why a joke falls flat, offends, or receives a standing ovation. I aim to build upon this theory and provide a platform by which jokes can be modified contextually to meet the true goal of the comedian - to make the audience laugh.  

I apologize in advance if I have analyzed to death what might ordinarily had been a "funny" comic... 

Welcome to The Humor Analysis Academy!

Humor is infectious. It lightens burdens, inspires hope, connects us to others, increases our insight, keeps us grounded, focused, alert, and happy. Laughter stimulates both sides of the brain. It allows us to get messages quicker and remember them longer. The benefits of humor merit scholarly research in order to identify and maximize the positive benefits associated with humor. But what is humor? 

While many seem to agree on what a good sense of humor is, few agree on how to define or explain it. When we say that someone has a good sense of humor, often times what we mean is that we enjoy being around the person with the good sense of humor. 

The Humor Analysis Academy is a digital online database for capturing and preserving the scholarly output in the field of humor studies. It is an open source system developed by Sophy M. Laughing, Ph.D., which allows items to be easily indexed and discovered by the Internet. Items deposited in the Repository, when possible, will include a brief summation of the reference. 


Items in this Repository will be academic or illustrative of humor application. 

• Journal articles 
• Conference papers
• Talks and presentations
• Technical reports
• Working papers
• Theses and dissertations
• Publications (books, research, case studies, comics, periodicals, clips)

The format of the files can include text, PDF, powerpoint, picture, photograph, audio and video clipping. 

BENEFITS OF DEPOSITING WORK IN THE REPOSITORY

There are a number of benefits to depositing scholarly output in the Repository. 

• To preserve and provide long-term access to your scholarly output (for individuals or associations)
• To promote your work and earn recognition for you and the Academy
• To provide an alternate platform to publish your work in e-format, expanding your reach in the field of humor studies
• To serve as a resource to support teaching and learning for the Academy

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND ACCESS RIGHTS

Access to the metadata and the abstract of the work is open to the public. Access to the full-text, when applicable, is restricted by the journal or other association where the work was originally published. If the work is published on the Humor Analysis Academy website, access is restricted to Academy staff and students, unless public access is granted by the author. The intellectual output of The Humor Analysis Academy and their copyright are governed by the Academy Intellectual Property Policy.  When access right or usage is in question, the author must grant the Academy a royalty-free and non-exclusive right to archive and distribute the work when the work is deposited in the Repository. 

ORGANIZATION

The Repository is organized around the academic and administrative units of the Humor Analysis Academy. Within each community, there can be an unlimited number of subcommunities or collections. Each collection may contain an unlimited number of items. 

SUBMISSION TO THE REPOSITORY

Current works in the Repository are harvested and input by the Academy staff. Self-submission or self-archiving will be supported in the near future. In the meantime, to submit works to the Repository, please contact the Humor Analysis Academy Administrative Unit. 

Last modified: 23 October 2011

Thank you for visiting the Humor Analysis Academy!  

Sophy M. Laughing, Ph.D. 

Humor Analysis Academy, Founder