What makes us laugh? Woah, woah, that’s a loaded question. Let’s start from the beginning. Actually no, just kidding, that is the beginning. There seems to be a few theories as to why we find things humorous, and many come from the most overrated and most overquoted psychologist, Sigmund Freud (I’m a closet Jungian).
The superiority theory says we laugh because someone does something we find dumb, thus we feel superior; this is a main reason why Adam Sandler movies make money, because we’re all smarter than Adam Sandler.
The relief theory says we find events humorous when there is a release of tension. That’s why farts in complete silence are always funny.
The incongruity theory is when a strained expectation is changed, for example seeing a bunch of ugly, shirtless men walking around an Abercrombie & Fitch (shoutout to Improv Everywhere). Other theories include defense mechanisms (where a release of tension happens in the face of anxiety or stress. This mostly explains why I was a dick in high school) and high adaptive level, which is basically maximizing gratification in the face of conflicting motives (like laughing at a sad movie, such as Grown Ups).
Those were a lot of words that weren’t very funny about something that makes us laugh, so how does that relate to the comedy of today and the future? Well, let’s start like this, look at this tweet from @jonnysun: “first rule of fight club is no fightig. welcom to contradicton club evryone hav a seat adn dont hav a seat. also this isnt contradicton club[.]” Did that make you laugh? It should because it’s goddamn hilarious. If, it didn’t then I don’t want to know who you are, please delete me as a Facebook friend and go home and cry, Mom.
But seriously, this tweet is just an example of the alternative comedy world of the Internet. @jonnysun is part of a movement (I use this term loosely because most tweeters are doing it from their bedrooms or sex dungeons) called “Weird Twitter.” [Sidenote: second week in a row I’m writing about Twitter. I’ve lost all originality, I feel like a writer for season four of “Community.”]
“Weird Twitter” is basically the complete opposite of the normal “set-up, punch line” approach and it definitely challenges the main theories of humor. I don’t feel superior to these geniuses that like to misspell—there is no tension before the punch line and I don’t have a preconceived expectation to the joke. Hell, most of these jokes are so off the cuff that I can’t even think how they do it.
“‘Someone’s been sleeping in my bed!’ said mommy bear. ‘Who hasn’t’ muttered daddy bear. ‘What?! You wanna do this now, in front of the kid!’” @mean_crow tweeted Nov. 11, 2012.
These Twitter accounts of faceless comedians trying to get Rob Delaney famous have changed the way we see comedy. We must ask why critically acclaimed comedy shows like “Parks and Recreation” and Happy Endings have a fifth of the viewers of the hot garbage CBS spews on the daily. [Sidenote: hearing any respected sports announcer like Jim Nantz having to promote Two Broke Girls makes my everything something something (comedy is hard, you guys)].
Is this the future of comedy; an endless stream of strange comments that are only funny when read, not said? Or are we doomed to a life of jokes that only teens on Instagram, girls on r/funny, and newbs on 4chan find funny? Can we only find quality humor in the deepest depths of the Internet or at 1 a.m. on [adult swim], or will this indie subculture of comedy go the way of music and become popular, thus being saturated with terrible attempts at “being edgy” and giving us the Imagine Dragons of comedy? Maybe. I don’t know.
With the way society works now, everyone wants to be a content creator, but only a few float to the top. YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter and Memefactory can create unlikely stars, whether they are telling an offensive joke or showing off their grumpy cat. We must respect those individuals who do make our sides tingle, our mouths sore, and make us breathe a little more air out of our nose than usual. These heroes, the @jonnysun’s, the @fart’s, the @hell_homer’s of the world are the new Richard Pryors, paving the way for weird people such as myself to have success in a nunforgiving field such as comedy. God bless them and God bless alternative comedy.
How do you do alternative comedy? Share your favorite Twitter handles with Michael by emailing mvoloshin@wisc.edu.
