A politician who wields a comeback with skill can use it as both a bludgeon and a shield, damaging the opponent without hurting their own popularity with voters.
From ‘Father Knows Best’ to ‘D'oh!’
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Dads are taking parenting much more seriously. But according to a new study of sitcoms, the stereotype of the foolish father remains stubbornly in place.
What’s got four legs, a wet nose and can help us laugh through the crisis?
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It isn't wrong to laugh at coronavirus comedy. Rather a chortle here and there will help us through the crisis, and it may even help spread vital information and give comfort to those in need.
There’s a growing body of research on online engagement and the characteristics of viral content.
Fabian Sommer/DPA/AAP
Online videos of Hitler getting angry at things, based on a 2004 film scene, have found enduring appeal and recently featured in a Fair Work Commission case. Why the furor?
The identity of the joke-teller matters more than you might think.
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A new study highlights the importance of the 'intergroup sensitivity effect' in comedy, which gives people license to tell certain jokes, but not others.
Protest in Gauhati, India, on Sept. 20, 2019, part of worldwide demonstrations ahead of a U.N. summit in New York.
AP Photo/Anupam Nath
'Two polar bears walk into a bar ...' is an unlikely opener for a joke, but memes and parodies are surprisingly effective ways to get people talking about climate change.
Ronald Reagan at the end of his debate with Walter Mondale, Oct. 22, 1984, Kansas City, Mo.
AP/Ron Edmonds
Disparagement humor makes a punchline out of a marginalized group. Racist or sexist jokes, for instance, aren't just harmless fun – psychologists find they can foster discrimination.
Don’t laugh at the psychological study of humor.
Laughing image via www.shutterstock.com.