According to the text, the author clearly divided people into two groups – people with “highbrow humor style” and people with “popular humor style”. He must have simplified the variations, and then set two typical models for readers to understand the two extreme definitions of “coarseness” and “good sense of humor”.
I don’t quite understand the standards of good sense of humor given by people with “highbrow humor style”, because humor can not exist without its social context, even if it has “sharpness and originality”. I prefer to connect good sense of humor with sociability.
What’s more, I strongly agree that good sense of humor also means that people can take a joke. In fact, I think it is the most important part of sense of humor. People who tell good jokes can make others laugh, and people who can take a joke are more likely to be welcomed by others.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Reading Task #4 – Essay
In Chapter 5 of “Good Humor, Bad Taste”(2006), Mouton de Gruyter tries to find out various definitions of good humor, and then looks into the logic behind them.
Firstly, he states that “sense of humor” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 100) and “coarse” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 100) are two words that have been frequently used to judge humor. However, he finds that people have different opinions as to what is coarse humor. For “highbrow” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 103) people, coarse has three meanings: “simple” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 103), “corny” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 103), “easy” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 103). For people “with the popular style” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 108), coarse equals to “vulgar and rude” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 108). He then talks about good sense of humor. One type of description connects it to a personal connection, which means that people with whom they share humor have good sense of humor. Surprisingly, the author finds that this description is mostly given by women, which reflects the connection between humor and gender. Besides that, he finds the other two types of description related to humor styles. People with “highbrow humor styles” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 114) prefer “sharpness and originality” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 115), while people with “popular humor style” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 117) connect good sense of humor with “sociability” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 117) rather than “originality” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 117). What’s more, he notices that good sense of humor also means that people can take a joke.
Firstly, he states that “sense of humor” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 100) and “coarse” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 100) are two words that have been frequently used to judge humor. However, he finds that people have different opinions as to what is coarse humor. For “highbrow” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 103) people, coarse has three meanings: “simple” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 103), “corny” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 103), “easy” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 103). For people “with the popular style” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 108), coarse equals to “vulgar and rude” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 108). He then talks about good sense of humor. One type of description connects it to a personal connection, which means that people with whom they share humor have good sense of humor. Surprisingly, the author finds that this description is mostly given by women, which reflects the connection between humor and gender. Besides that, he finds the other two types of description related to humor styles. People with “highbrow humor styles” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 114) prefer “sharpness and originality” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 115), while people with “popular humor style” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 117) connect good sense of humor with “sociability” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 117) rather than “originality” (Mouton de Gruyter, 2006, Page 117). What’s more, he notices that good sense of humor also means that people can take a joke.
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