Comparison Of Observational And Slapstick Humor

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Did you know that supervisors in the workplace who utilize humor are more likely to be perceived as effective leaders? Humor is one aspect of the English language that makes conversing with other humans enjoyable and stimulating. Humor brings people together with universal themes that are relatable, but infrequently, humor can also drive people apart if the subject matter is offensive. There are numerous types of humor that exist, with the majority of people enjoying at least one form. Observational humor and slapstick humor are two distinctive forms of humor that contrast yet compare to one another. Observational humor is based on the aspects that people experience in their day-to-day life. What leads this form of humor to be interesting is that it mentions subjects which can be overlooked, or rarely discussed. An example of an observational humor joke is “We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police.” In contrast, slapstick humor is typically characterized by broad humor, practical jokes, clumsiness, violent physical action, as well as absurd situations. Comedians and everyday people often portray this form of humor best by…show more content…
However, this form of humor has only been popular in the United States since the 1950s. Shelley Berman is believed to have been one of the main pioneers who made this type of humor popular in the mid-1950s. David Brenner made observational humor popular as well beginning in the 1970s. He made jokes such as, “You know you’re getting old when…you start to dress in more than six colors.” On the other hand, slapstick humor has been a part of comedy since the ancient times. In Greece and Rome, bald, heavily padded clowns oftentimes exchanged insults and beatings; which audiences enjoyed. In addition, Shakespeare displayed evidence of slapstick humor in his play “The Comedy of Errors”, through chase scenes and

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