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From: leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper)
Newsgroups: net.books,net.jokes.d,net.math
Subject: Re: MATHEMATICS AND HUMOR by John Allen Paulos
Message-ID: <1159@mtgzz.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 15-Sep-85 13:36:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtgzz.1159
Posted: Sun Sep 15 13:36:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Sep-85 23:49:59 EDT
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 >Nice idea, Mark.  Ceratinly, the thing that makes a lot of
 >jokes funny  (all jokes ?)  is that they highlight some
 >meaning or element of life in a way that is unusual, and
 >(usually) debunks some socially constructed norm.  BUT does
 >your theory explain why this is "funny" ?  i.e why does this
 >result in laughter, and the emotion we experience as
 >'humour' ?  Certainly, what you/Paulo's book says seems to
 >provide a tool for structural analysis of jokes, but is this
 >important ?  Also, what about 'dirty' jokes, puns, and
 >limeriks ?
 >
 >My own opinion is that it's purely the manipulation of
 >STRUCTURE that we find amusing.  All jokes alter some sort
 >of structure (social, lingustic, sexual) in a clever way.
 >Since a fundamental part of or cognitive system is
 >recognition and amnipulation of structures, it this that
 >produce the eexperience of mirth.  

I think that manipulation of structure is really just another way of
saying the same sor of thing that Paulos.  You say that the
"philosophical point" model does not explain why things are funny, but
that manipulation of structure produces mirth.  I don't see that
your model explains why things are funny any more than Paulos' or mine.
You just create one more model (or perhaps just another way to say the
same thing) but go no further to explain what I complain I don't
explain.  Nobody seems to explain WHY structure flipping or context
flipping or philospical point comprehension would result in laughter
and the pleasant feeling that humor provides.

				Mark Leeper
				...ihnp4!mtgzz!leeper