Today’s creepy clowns are not a divergence from tradition, but a return to it.
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Articles on Humor
Displaying 1 - 20 of 22 articles
US President Calvin Coolidge hasn’t gone down in history for his triumphs or failures as president during the 1920s – but his dry sense of humor carries on.
Social media during the pandemic is not all doom scrolling and despair. Lighter memes have psychological benefits.
Critics have long pooh-poohed conservative comics. But in today’s fragmented media environment, right-wing comedy has become both a moneymaker and a force in politics.
Some critics are complaining that sex scenes have vanished from cinema. But they’re still very much present – in all their awkward, perverse glory.
Humor is a key ingredient to successful learning. Can educators keep the laughter going when learning takes place online?
Whether in the form of a discreet titter or a full-on roar, laughter comes with many benefits for physical and mental health.
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.
Dads are taking parenting much more seriously. But according to a study of sitcoms, the stereotype of the foolish father remains stubbornly in place.
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 are a few simple tricks anyone can use.
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?
A new study highlights the importance of the ‘intergroup sensitivity effect’ in comedy, which gives people license to tell certain jokes, but not others.
‘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.
Self-deprecating humor can be a savvy campaign strategy – but only for certain candidates.
In ads, robots typically are scary, sad or stupid. Real-life robots and artificial intelligence systems are none of those.
The way you and your partner use humour can shape your relationship, and even break it up.
Sarcasm thrives in ambiguous situations, which makes it especially ripe for misinterpretation.
The serious science of toilet humour.
One viral video might leave you in stitches; another leaves you cold. Psychology researchers have worked out several theories of humor to explain why.
Top contributors
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Professor of Journalism, Indiana University
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Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Grinnell College
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Assistant Professor of Psychology, Fort Lewis College
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Professor of Media Studies, Penn State
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Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology, Knox College
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Senior Clinical Lecturer in Child Psychiatry, University of Aberdeen
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Professor of Social Psychology, Western Carolina University
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Senior Lecturer of Rhetoric, Boston University
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Executive Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact, Assistant Professor, American University School of Communication
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Professor of Communication, UMass Amherst
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Lecturer in Psychology, Aberystwyth University
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Associate Professor of Psychology, Newberry College
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Lecturer in International Comparative Literature and Translation Studies, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Director, Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Colorado Boulder
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Lecturer, The University of Queensland
