What makes people laugh?

1. What makes YOU laugh? 2. What do you find funny & why?

Why do a humorous speech? 1. Humor is pervasive and universal (all cultures & languages laugh) 2. Humor is beneficial to our mental/physical health (laughter increases quality of life) 3. Humor makes people LISTEN (breaks down communication barriers!)

Humor typically comes when a situation is a VIOLATION but BENIGN

Time and distance makes the stories from our own life funnier... Humor = tragedy + time

Horace HB Sanders – Ninja Costume h-b-sanders

Chris Bliss – comedy is translation (3:20)

Comedy sometimes reaches people...even with serious issues...better than logic Stanford University Philosophy of Humor – November 20, 2012: 1. Superiority Theory – the cause of laughter is feelings of superiority. Simply put, our laughter expresses feelings of superiority over other people or over a former state of ourselves 2. Relief Theory – laughter is the release of nervous energy 3. Incongruity Theory – laughter is the perception of something incongruous – out of place; inappropriate; inconsistent (currently the dominant theory of humor in philosophy and psychology) Philosophy of Humor

Incongruity Theory “Although Aristotle did not use the term incongruity, he hints that it is the basis for at least some humor. In the Rhetoric (3, 2), a handbook for speakers, he says that one way for a speaker to get a laugh is to create an expectation in the audience and then violate it. Jokes that depend on a change of spelling or word play, he notes, can have the same effect. Cicero, in On the Orator (ch. 63), says that “The most common kind of joke is that in which we expect one thing and another is said; here our own disappointed expectation makes us laugh.””

Why do we laugh?

At least 15 facial muscles used when you laugh. Gelotologists – laugh researchers. Laughter rooted in strengthening social bonds. Tend to laugh more in groups than alone. Laugh easier around friends and family. Incongruity Theory – the element of surprise triggers laughter – Sudden, unexpected, incongruous Relief Theory – laughter is mental mini-break – happy surprise – helps us cope with stressful situations - Releasing Cognitive Energy (aka Comic Relief) – recharges our brain to face the task at hand Superiority Theory – laughing at your misfortune – promotes bonding via “Us vs. Them” We laugh hardest at what we know best and at what stresses us out the most. Laughter reduces the release of stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, oxygenates blood flow, and helps immune response. Laughing 100 times burns as many calories as a 15 minute bike ride. Why do we laugh?

Humans have become proficient at pattern recognition by necessity, and three is the smallest number of elements required to create a pattern. The Rule of 3 combination of pattern and brevity results in memorable content.

The rule of three is a writing principle that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader or audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of threes.

Storytelling The Rule of Three works in stories due to the presence of the concise, memorable patterns: Three little pigs Three blind mice Goldilocks and the three bears Three Musketeers Three wise men Three Stooges

Sticky Ideas Information presented in groups of three sticks in our heads better than other clusters of items: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” “Blood, sweat and tears” “Location, location, location” “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” “Faith, Hope and Charity” “Mind, body, spirit” “Stop, Look and Listen” “Sex, Lies and Videotape” “I came, I saw, I conquered”

Humor The Rule of Three fits the classic joke structure of set-up, anticipation and punchline. The three-part grouping also allows for tension to build and then be released thanks to the surprise and absurdity contained in the third element. Brian Clark -

1. Set up 2. Anticipation 3. Punchline Or 1. Expected 2. Expected 3. Unexpected

Greeting a telephone answering machine: "Sorry I can't personally answer the phone. I'm either motivating thousands of people, appearing on the Oprah show...or taking a nap. Please leave a message and I'll return your call when I wake up."

Here's what makes the rule of three work: A funny line is sometimes said to be like a train wreck. You know where the train (your train of thought) has been, you think you know where it's going, but then you're surprised when it goes off track. The same sort of thing happens when you see the unexpected slip on the banana peel. The surprise or twist helps build the tension to create and magnify the humor.

How To Use The Rule of Three To Make People Laugh – BOOM, BOOM, BANG!