Mar
13
What’s So Funny? Well, Maybe Nothing
March 13, 2007 |
“So there are these two muffins baking in an oven. One of them yells, “Wow, it’s hot in here!â€
And the other muffin replies: “Holy cow! A talking muffin!â€
Did that alleged joke make you laugh? I would guess (and hope) not. But under different circumstances, you would be chuckling softly, maybe giggling, possibly guffawing. I know that’s hard to believe, but trust me. The results are just in on a laboratory test of the muffin joke.”
A very interesting article published in New York Times that demonstrates that laughter is not what we think:
“Occasionally we’re surprised into laughing at something funny, but most laughter has little to do with humor. It’s an instinctual survival tool for social animals, not an intellectual response to wit. It’s not about getting the joke. It’s about getting along.”
Full article here
Comments
1 Comment so far
I pretty much agree with this survival tool idea. I remember dozens of times when things were so bad all I could do was laugh. It kept me going, although it had so little to do with humor. Really interesting article, Sim!