The Humor Code (41 page)

health and,
175
–96,
200

Koestler's definition of,
49

McGraw's thoughts about,
212

purpose of,
6
–7

selling of,
51
–54

as subversion tool,
165
,
173

team-based,
201

universal,
114
–15,
118
,
200

See also
comedy; joke(s); laughter; sense of humor;
specific topic; type of humor

HUMOR
(quarterly publication),
6
,
8
,
9
,
13
,
26
,
89

Humor Research Lab (HuRL) (University of Colorado)

benign violation theory development at,
10
–13

birth control campaign study by,
53
–54,
167
,
205

and dark side of humor,
120

founding of,
2

and “Haiti” text experiment,
60
–61

and importance of information to funniness,
128

McGraw-Warner's first meeting at,
2
–3

McGraw's founding of,
2

New Yorker
cartoon study by,
45

purpose of experiments at,
3
,
15

Humor Research Team (HuRT),
2
–3,
110

See also specific person

Humorous Behavior Q-sort Deck,
28
–29

HUNT-2 study,
180

hunter joke,
114
–15

The Hurricane Club (New York City): alcohol-humor study at,
63
–66

Hurricane Sandy,
170

Hutcheson, Francis,
123

I Am Comic
(documentary),
31

Ibrahimi Mosque (Hebron),
172
–73

Improv Olympic Theater (iO) (Chicago),
28

improvisation,
27
–28,
29
–30,
37
–39,
40

Ince, Elise Chandon,
97

incongruity theory,
7
,
8
,
12
,
206

infants: laughter of,
84
–85

Inoue, Hiroshi,
99
,
100

instincts: and what makes comedians,
18

intangibles: and what makes a person funny,
22
–23

International Humor Conference (Copenhagen, 2006),
124

International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS),
6
,
13
,
44
,
95
–96,
123

intifadas
humor,
158
–59,
164
,
165

“Into the End Zone, Trying to Get a Touchdown” (Dundes),
135

Iquitos (Peru)

McGraw and Warner's trip to,
176
,
183
–85,
186
,
188
,
192
–94

Punchana neighborhood in,
193
–94

See also
Belén project (Peru)

Irish jokes,
98

Irving, Washington,
98

Isen, Alice,
50

Israel: and anti-Israeli jokes,
164
–65

Israeli-Palestinian friendship,
173

Jackson, Victoria,
111

Japan

benign violation theory and,
205

characteristics of humor in,
95
,
99

compartmentalization of comedy in,
102

Davies comment about,
99

as homogenous,
103

McGraw and Warner's lessons learned from,
200
,
205

McGraw and Warner's trip to,
93
–94,
205
,
211

political jokes in,
110

samurai
as central to humor in,
99
,
100

U.S. influence on,
113

See also
Osaka, Japan

Japan Society for Laughter and Humor Studies,
99

Japanese Humor and Laughter Society,
93
–94,
102

JAPE (Joke Analysis and Production Engine) (robo-jokesters),
50

Jenin (West Bank): McGraw and Warner's trip to,
165
–67,
169

Jerichow, Anders,
130
–32,
137

Jerusalem, McGraw and Warner's trip to,
162
–64

Jewish humor,
164

Jews: as comedians,
30

“Jihad Jane” (aka Colleen Renee LaRose),
145
,
146

joke-writing

of Dean,
24
–25

gender and,
110

of Raskin,
24
–25

joke(s)

boring,
129
–32

characteristics of,
141

as coping/relief tool,
134
,
163
–64,
167
,
173
,
189
–91,
200

culture and,
95

dark,
148
,
159

delivery of,
201

difficult circumstances and,
169
–72

as failures,
128
–29

as a game,
123
–24,
141

offensive,
129
–32

Palestinian,
158
–59

purpose of,
134

for self-preservation,
163
–64

in Soviet Union,
154
–55

stereotypes and,
141

translations of,
104

world's funniest,
114
–15

See also type of joke

Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious
(Freud),
6
–7

“Jon Stewart Effect,”
54

Just for Feet commercial,
53

Just For Laughs Comedy Festival (Montreal)

and McGraw-Warner decision to participate in,
15

McGraw and Warner's invitation to participate in,
203
–4,
206

McGraw's stand-up comedy routine for,
197
–202,
206
–10

Singer as talent scout for,
21

Jyllands-Posten
(Danish newspaper)

incendiary imagery in,
134

Mohammad cartoons in,
124
–30,
131
,
133

survey about immigrants by,
138

threats against,
131

Kahneman, Daniel,
4

Kamala, Jason,
69
–71,
88

Kan, Christina,
190

Kanaana, Sharif,
158
–59,
161
,
164
,
165
,
171

Kanin, Zachary,
46
–48,
49
,
51
,
54
,
55
–58,
64
–65

Kansai University (Osaka, Japan),
100

Kaplan, Bruce Eric,
43

Kashasha, Tanzania

laughter epidemic in,
68
–69,
74
,
83
,
89

Rugeiyamu visit with McGraw and Warner in,
88
–91

Katagelasticists,
124

Kataria, Madan,
178
–79

Kaufman, Andy,
20

Keltner, Dacher,
140

Kinison, Sam,
20

Kiroyera Tours,
70

Klausen, Jytte,
127

Klegman, Sarah,
21
,
22

Klikushestvo shouting manias,
90

Klovn
(TV comedy show),
136

knock-knock jokes,
6

Koestler, Arthur,
48
–50,
51

Koran,
156
–57

Koziski, Stephanie,
30

labor unions, for comedians,
20

Ladonia (micronation),
146
–47

LaMont, Alf,
19
,
20

LaRose, Colleen Renee “Jihad Jane,”
145
,
146

Larsen, Rune,
137
–39

Las Vegas, Nevada: McGraw and Warner's trip to,
34
–37

Laugh Factory (Los Angeles club),
36

LaughLab (website),
114

laughter

of animals,
79
–81

benefits of,
178
–79

benign violation theory and,
72
,
78

in children/infants,
84
–85

as contagious,
68
,
73
,
86
,
88
–89,
200

difficult circumstances and,
169
–72

as “disabling” mechanism,
76

Duchenne and,
77
–78

in everyday life,
72
,
92

evolution of,
76
–79

gender and,
89
–91,
92

Gervais and Wilson's views about,
76
–79

and good versus bad audience,
33
–34

health and,
175
–96

madness and,
71

as mass hysteria,
89
–90

McGraw and Warner as practicing,
33
–34,
86
,
205

McGraw and Warner's lessons learned about,
205

mimicked,
78

as mysterious,
68

as pathological,
74

as protest,
89
–90,
168
–69

Provine's explanation of,
71
–73

purpose of,
76
–79,
92
,
199
–200

at self,
199
,
200
,
201

as signal that things are okay,
83

social power of,
72
–73,
85
–86,
92

solitary,
72

stand-up comedy and,
72

stress and,
90
–91,
92

tickling and,
79
–80

uncontrollable,
71
,
74

Laughter: A Scientific Investigation
(Provine),
71
,
89

laughter epidemics,
67
–71,
73
,
74
,
83
–85,
87
,
88
–90,
91
–92

Laughter in Hell: The Use of Humor During the Holocaust
(Lipman),
163
–64

Laughter Universities,
179

laughter yoga,
178
–79,
212

laughtivism,
168
–69

lawyer jokes,
97

Le Roy, New York: student outbursts in,
90

Lear, Norman,
48

Lee, Judith Yaros,
44

Legman, Gershon,
121
–22,
124

Leno, Jay,
20

Leonard, Bridget,
97

Leore (Israeli cabdriver),
150
,
152

Letterman, David,
20

Levity (comedy agency),
21

Lewis, Jerry,
97
–98,
124

Lewis, Richard,
20

liberals: sense of humor of,
112

Lichtenstein, Donnie,
9

Life Studies of Comedy Writers
(Fry and Allen),
48

lightbulb jokes,
136

lighting: role in comedy of,
31
–32

Limbaugh, Rush,
111

linguistic theory of humor,
24

Lipman, Steve,
163
–64

Lorena (Argentinian clown),
189

Los Angeles, California

McGraw and Warner's lessons learned from,
199
,
205
,
206

McGraw and Warner's trip to,
17
–41,
211

See also
Central Casting; Comedy Store; Santa Monica Playhouse; Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB);
specific person

Los Angeles Comedy Awards,
23

Louie
(FX series),
17

Lubetkin, Steve,
20

Lutz, Chip,
177

Mad Men
(TV show),
62
,
107
,
208

madness: laughter and,
71

Malin, Elisabeth,
112

Mamet, David,
56

Man Show
(TV program),
142

Mankoff, Bob,
43
–44,
45
,
46
,
47
,
54
–58,
64

manzai
(two-man comedy style),
106
,
107
,
110
,
113
,
117
,
205

Mark (Amazonian clown),
193

marriage: humor and,
75
–76

Martin, James,
156

Martin, Rod,
108
–9,
179
,
180

Martin, Steve,
20
,
25
,
30

Marx, Groucho,
36

Masada, Jamie,
36

mass hysteria: laughter as,
89
–90

mass-market jokes/comedy

creation of,
41
–62

risks involved with,
58
–59

See also
the
New Yorker
cartoons

mass motor hysteria,
90

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): idea generation study at,
50

Massou, Khalid,
160

Mauss, Shane,
201

Mazzilli, Chris,
38

McGhee, Paul,
85

McGraw, Kathleen (mother),
3
,
194
–96