"There is no humor in heaven.”

February 27, 2014 8:07 PM

The Dark Psychology of Being a Good Comedian. The Atlantic discusses humor's role as a coping mechanism, as a defense mechanism and as a cognitive tool. Also compares funny people to psychotic ones.
posted by raihan_ (18 comments total)

Of course there is humour in Heaven-- God is a comedian...
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 8:19 PM on February 27, 2014

Of course there is humour in Heaven-- God is a comedian...

You're assuming God is funny.
posted by 3FLryan at 8:33 PM on February 27, 2014

He did invent the platypus...
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:46 PM on February 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

And genocidal humans...
posted by symbioid at 8:51 PM on February 27, 2014

You're assuming God is funny.

it's all the fools I have to deal with
posted by philip-random at 9:05 PM on February 27, 2014

The "questionnaire" in the BJP paper on comedians' schizotypy traits is O-Life: the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences. It's a fun test to do. When you compare it to the utilitarian dullness of the PBQ: Beck Personality Belief Questionnaire, you can see which one was obviously designed for comedians to prefer answering.
posted by meehawl at 9:18 PM on February 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

"history’s greatest yardstick of hilarity: writing captions for New Yorker cartoons."

Wait, what?
posted by Mchelly at 9:19 PM on February 27, 2014 [2 favorites]

I dunno, some of this rang true but it's sort of missing the larger point. I totally identify with the smart introvert thing and it's like I figured out if I'm your funny friend, that's enough for us to be friends and then I don't have to let you in any further. I mean in many ways I'm your friend that will say dark and terrible but hilarious things and you keep me around for that and my unsentimental practicality in all things. (My friends would tell you I'm not the one to call for comfort but if it's 3am and you needed to hide a body then yeah I'd be first on your list). But very few people actually get past that jokes and I think that's what many of us learn: We can be the funny guy in the group and BE in the group, but not OF the group.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 9:32 PM on February 27, 2014 [4 favorites]

Patton Oswalt on the strange comic legacy of Bill Hicks - "Before Hicks, I was focused only on being liked. After Hicks, I was focused on discovering, together with each audience I stood in front of, why I liked what I liked."

At Walnut Creek, after a table of suburbanites quietly walked out, a woman asked him, "Don't you believe in God?"

Bill said, "I do believe in God. I just don't believe in people."

posted by kliuless at 9:41 PM on February 27, 2014 [8 favorites]

If God exists, and has a sense of humor, then the human race is the biggest joke He has ever told.
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:14 AM on February 28, 2014 [1 favorite]

The funniest possible caption of damn near every NewYorker cartoon is usually an improvisation on the phrase,
"Holy shit am I high."
posted by From Bklyn at 1:14 AM on February 28, 2014 [1 favorite]

Also works for "Christ, what an asshole" (previously)

Also, why is it that every intellectual look at what does or doesn't make something funny is always the least funny thing ever written? (Freud, I'm especially looking at you).
posted by Mchelly at 4:31 AM on February 28, 2014 [2 favorites]

I actually think that "Christ, what an asshole" is deeply stupid and unfunny for most of them
posted by thelonius at 4:52 AM on February 28, 2014 [1 favorite]

This also helps explain the British sense of humour btw.

I assume that you're referring to the bit where they talked about funnier people being cleverer and having more sex.
posted by Ned G at 4:55 AM on February 28, 2014 [2 favorites]

Alexandra Kitty: "Of course there is humour in Heaven-- God is a comedian..."

Creator: a comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh. --H. L. Mencken
posted by namewithoutwords at 5:06 AM on February 28, 2014

I've pondered the concept of what makes something funny for a long time. I think all of these ideas catch a part of it. Inconsistencies and juxtapositions are definitely the basis of most humor. A certain intelligence and command of language is necessary to see them and be able to express them in a humorous way. And, IMO, a person has to be at least subtly withdrawn/distanced/wired differently to make ( or even want to see) the inconsistencies.

Life would suck without funny people, though.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 5:18 AM on February 28, 2014

I wonder how in how many other languages a word like 'funny' also means 'weird or a bit off'. Perhaps humour is the uncanny valley of thought.
posted by forgetful snow at 7:07 PM on February 28, 2014

I wonder how in how many other languages a word like 'funny' also means 'weird or a bit off'.

Good question! I know in German you can say something is komisch and have it mean both 'a little bit off' and 'comedic/ meant to be funny.' Otherwise Lustig means really only funny/lusty/pleasureable.

In French you end up with curieux being the closest to 'funny/funny' and curieux is pretty analogous to curious.

I don't know from other languages though. Anyone?
posted by From Bklyn at 11:43 PM on February 28, 2014 [1 favorite]