In this paper, you will analyze the theories of humor (from Morreall’s book) as seen in a comedic example of your own choosing.  You may choose a movie, an episode of a TV series, a stand-up comedian or another type of example. Do not spend more than two paragraphs describing the scene, movie or example!  The paper is to be an analysis of the humor, not a review of how much you liked the movie or program, or how popular it is (or the box-office record it may have set, etc.).

Describe, in your own words, your understanding of how the theories in John Morreall’s book, Comic Relief: A Complete Philosophy of Humor are seen in your example.  The main theories to consider are: Superiority, Incongruity, Relief and Relaxation. You may also briefly discuss what we will study in Rod Martin’s book, The Psychology of Humor and you may touch on Grice’s Rules of Conversation, but those should not be the focal point of your paper. The main focus should be your analysis of how the theories in John Morreall’s philosophy book are seen in your example.

It’s important to compare, contrast and integrate your writing in this paper. Do not simply itemize each type of theory, as you would a grocery list. Include more than one academic discipline in each paragraph wherever possible and demonstrate that you see how those disciplines, as well as the theories integrate or relate to each other.

Important: Be sure the entire paper is your original work. Do not repeat course material verbatim or put it in quotes; describe your understanding of what we have learned in your own words. If you do not put things in your own words, it can be seen as plagiarism and can become part of your record at Park. Please contact me if you have questions about plagiarism.

Assignment Details:

The paper is to have at least 3 or more full pages of your original writing, not counting a cover or abstract page (if used) or a reference page. The paper should not be fewer than three pages long, and should be double-spaced, in 12-point type (Times Roman is a good font to use), using APA guidelines.