-
someone does something well
atta boy (condescending)
-
Setup: To me, it's a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around.
Target assumption:
Reinterpretation:
Target assumption: We assume the (motive_author) carrying two sacks in order to be generous and give to others
Punch: That way, if anybody says, "Hey, can you give me a hand?" You can say, "Sorry, got these sacks."
Reinterpretation: We are surprised that instead of wanting to be generous he actually wants to avoid helping out. The funny is amplified by the fact that the two actions are nearly the antithesis and, two sacks is a silly thing (funny word) to be carrying around, also (PainTarget – person not being helped)
motive_author-Generous/Petty
-
Setup: If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down?
Target assumption1:
Target assumption2:
Connector:
Reinterpretation:
Target assumption1: We assume the author cares about trees (motive_author)
Target assumption2: We assume that trees screaming due to mistreatment or at least for a good reason
Connector: trees reason for screaming (motive_inanimate_object)
Punch: We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."
Reinterpretation: trees scream because they are annoying (PainTarget - tree)
- motive_author-Environmentalist/Realist
- QUESTION_TO_DIRECT_THINKING[SetupTool]
-
Setup: Is there anything more beautiful than
Target assumption:
Reinterpretation:
Target assumption: we expect him to be profound/eloquent in describing beauty
Punch: a beautiful, beautiful flamingo, flying in front of a beautiful sunset? And he's carrying a beautiful rose in his beak, and he's carrying a very beautiful painting with his feet. And also, you're drunk.
Reinterpretation: we are surprised that he uses the word beautiful so much
(repetition, lack of eloquence when it's expected/assumed by the setup), and that the context is so unbelievable, and that he continues on and on with the silly description
motive_author-Profound/Silly; More&MoreUnbelievable
-
Setup: Whenever I see an old lady slip and fall on a wet sidewalk, my first instinct is to laugh. But then I think,
Target assumption:
Reinterpretation:
Target assumption: we suspect he's going to reflect on his meanness and/or take the subject’s perspective (unexpected_perspective)
- Punch: what if I was an ant and she fell on me. Then it wouldn't seem quite so funny.
- Reinterpretation: we are surprised that he takes the view of a participant that is not included in the original scene (more unexpected but still believable), an ant is a weird perspective to take, and unfunny does not come close to crushed to death.
Motive author-Noble/Stupid; (unexpected_perspective)
-
Setup: I wish I would have a real tragic love affair and get so bummed out that I'd just quit my job and become a bum for a few years, because
Target Assumption:
Target Assumption: we assume he is motivated by passion not apathy (motive_author); “because…” assumes he’ll list a reason for the previous statement (because…no reason)
Punch: I was thinking about doing that anyway. Reinterpretation: instead he reveals he wants a mediocre life
Motive author-Passionate/Mediocre; (because…no reason)
-
Setup: If I ever get real rich, I hope I'm not real mean to poor people,
Target Assumption:
Target Assumption: We assume that he is not already mean to poor people (“If I ever X, I hope Y” generally indicates predicated events)
Punch: like I am now.
motive_author-Generous/mean; Breaking Social Norms (Targeting Weakness)
-
Setup: I hope that after I die, people will say of me:
Punch: "That guy sure owed me a lot of money."
motive_author-Solemn/Petty
-
Setup: One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my nephew to Disneyland
Target Assumption:
Reinterpretation:
Target Assumption: We assume that he is going to play a playful trick that the kids would enjoy
- but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse.
- Punch: "Oh no," I said, "Disneyland burned down." He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. (OppositeEffectofwhatNaiveAuthorExpected) (PainTarget)
Reinterpretation: we are surprised that it is mean instead of playful. We are able to laugh at the child because this is too fantastical situation to happen, we laugh at the comic because of his naivety playing the sick joke on kid and assuming he'll understand
Punch: I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late. (Excessive waste on frivolous matters) (PainTarget) Reinterpretation: we expect that the comic will make it up to the child, but instead we are surprised to learn he wasted all day on this trick! We enjoy laughing at things we normally don’t laugh at (children, the elderly, etc.) but must be done out of a place of naivety or an emotion that can be related to, not out of meanness)
BREAKING SOCIAL NORM (i.e. PainTarget)
Children’s Gullibility; Playful/Mean; Excessive waste on frivolous matters;
-
Setup: If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is, "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is,
Target assumption:
Target assumption: we assume that what she's going to say is cute instead of mean the near antithesis
Punch:"Probably because of something you did.“ (OppositeEffectofwhatNaiveAuthorExpected) (PainTarget)
We are supposed to have reverence for the fact that children can be led astray easily; however if you get it just right that social tension can be used for a laugh
Reverence for kids vulnerability/no reverence
-
Setup: Probably the earliest fly swatters were nothing more than
Target assumption:
Target assumption: we assume that he's going to describe something different than what it is now. We assume this because the words he uses Archeologists use words like “earliest” in describing artifacts
Punch: some sort of striking surface attached to the end of a long stick.
Reinterpretation: We come to the realization that the early flyswatter's couldn't have been much different than they are now. We didn't know this initially but it is the truth. The comic can ask the audience any weird QUESTION_TO_DIRECT_THINKING[SetupTool] with his diction, but spring a humorous trap on them by offering a different but plausible conclusion.
SETUP OBSCURES TRUTH, PUNCH REVEALS TRUTH
|
|
