humor_a semiogenetic approach

8/3/2019 Humor_A Semiogenetic Approach

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HUMOR: A SEMIOGENETIC APPRO ACH

by

Susan C. V ogel

8 ft

BPX 9

Studienverlag Dr. Norbert Brockmeyer Bochum 1989


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CONTENTS

0 INTRODUCTION 1

1 THE SEMIOGENETIC VIEW OF HUMOR 4

1.0 Introduction to the Semiogenetic Approach 4

1.1 Historical Survey of Humor Research:Basic Issues 51.2 Cognitive Psychology and Linguistics:Concrete Questions.... 171.3 The Semiogenetic Contribution 211.4 The Signs of Humor 271.5 Developmental Typology: Play, Humor, and Joke Situations 371.5.1 Play 411.5.2 Humor 46

1.5.3 The Joke 49

2 THE PARAMETERS OF THE HUMOR SITUATION 59

2.0 The Situation Model 592.1 Participants 662.1.1 Literature Survey 672.1.2 Interpretation and Analysis: Six Configurations 73

2.1.2.1 Three Roles, Three People 732.1.2.1.1 Humorous Teasing 762.1.2.1.2 Ridicule as Social Punishment 802.1.2.1.3 Ridicule as Social Satire 812.1.2.2 Three Roles, Two People 832.1.2.2.1 Target Absent 832.1.2.2.2 Audience = Target 842.1.2.2.3 Humorist+Audience = Target 85

2.1.2.2.4 Humorist = Target 872.1.2.3 Three Roles, One Person 89


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2.2 Processing 902.2.1 Y l : Incongruity 912.2.1.1 Older View s: Incongruity and Configurational Theories 912.2.1.2 Cognitive Incongruity Theory 932.2.1.3 Semiogenetic Summary: Bilateral Bisociation 962.2.2 Y l + Y2: The Cognition-Emotion Connection 992.2.2.1 Older Views: "R elief Theories, Psychoanalytical Theory 1002.2.2.2 Recent Approaches: Collative Variables and Arousal Theory 1012.2.3 Semiogenetic View: Am usement and Am bivalence 1012.3 Social Group 1052.3.1 Sociological Approaches to H um or Humor as a Social Lubricant

and/or Abrasive Agent - 1062.3.2 Semiogenetic Contribution: Levels of Targeting 1122.4 Energy 1212.5 Congruence, Playback, Feedback, Reversibility 1282.6 Selection: The Play Frame 1332.7 Summ ary: Text-External Parameters of Hum or 140

3 THE HUM OR TEX T.... 143

3.1 Analyses of the Joke 1433.1.1 Freudian Joke Typology 1443.1.2 Linguistic Approaches to Joke Analysis 1473.1.2.1 The Gramm atical Approach 1483.1.2.2 Semantic Script Theory 1503.1.3 Semiotic Approaches to the Joke 1533.1.3.1 Paradigmatic Series, Syntagm atic Chains, and Chiasmus... 1533.1.3.2

Syntactic, Semantic, and Pragmatic Dimensions 1553.1.4 The Poetics of the Joke 1593.1.4.1 Trifocal Approach to the Joke as Poetry 1603.1.4.2 Trifocal Perspective 1643.1.5 The Biogenesis of Art and the Joke 1643.1.6 The Essence of the Joke as Hum or Text 1663.2 Humorvs. the Joke 1683.2.1 Verbal Joke vs. Verbal Hum or: Anecdotes and Wisecracks 169

3.2.2 Verbal Joke vs. Visual Joke: Cartoons 1753.2.3 Visual Joke vs. Visual Hum or: The Com ic 178


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4 EXCU RSUS: SMILING AND LAUGHTER 182

4.0 Introduction: Problems of Polyfunctionality 1824.1 Smiles and Laughs: Physiology and Morphology 183

4.2 Smiles and Laughs: Phylogenetic Universals 1854.3 Smiling and Laughter in Humor Situations 1904.4 Ontogenesis of the Smile 1914.4.1 Smile as Biological Tension-Release Mechanism 1914.4.2 Smile as Social Signal 1994.5 Ontogenesis of Laughter 201

5 THE ONTOG ENESIS OF THE HUMOR SITUATION 204

5.1 The Play Frame and Targeted Interaction 2055.1.1 Primary Intersubjectivity: The Mother-Infant Dyad 2065.1.2 Playful Primary Intersubjectivity 2095.1.3 Secondary Intersubjectivity: Infant Laughter at 6 Months 2105.1.4 Game Formats and Play Frames: 6 to 12 Months 2155.1.5 Play as Triadic Targeted Interaction 219

5.2 Incongruity and Bisociation 2215.2.1 Hum orous Behavior 2225.2.1.1 Syntagmatic Twists 2235.2.1.2 Paradigm atic Twists 2255.2.1.3 Antisymmetrical Twists 2265.2.2 Incongruous Behavior towards Objects: Hum orous Artifacts 2285.2.2.1 Playful Semiotic Projection 2295.2.2.2 Emotional Ambiguity: Noavs. Taboo 232

5.2.3 Incongruous Verbal Behavior: Hum orous Texts 2365.2.3.1 Incongruous Labeling of Objects and Events 2365.2.3.2 Names and Noises 2385.2.3.3 The Gender Game 2405.2.3.4 Wholes and Parts 2415.2.4 The Big Bang of Bisociation: Polysemy 2445.3 Social Dynam ics of the Hum or Situation 2465.3.1 Basic Theoretical Problems 246

5.3.2 Child-Adult Interaction: The Toddler as Hum orist 2495.3.3 Early Child-Child Interaction: Infant Gam es 250


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5.3.4 Hum or and Young Friends 2545.3.5 Preschool Groups 2575.3.5.1 Rough and Tum ble Play 2605.3.5.2 Group Glee 2625.3.5.3 Clowning Around 2645.3.6 Cruelty in Preschool Hum or: The Problem of Targeting 2675.4 Text-Mediated Interaction: The Joke Facade 2725.4.1 Direct Targeted Behav ior 2745.4.2 Substitution of W ords for Actions 2755.4.3 The Facade of the Rhyme 2775.4.4 The Facade of the Narrative 279

5.4.5 The Facade of the Frozen Form : Joking Riddles 280

6 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH... 285

NOTES 289

Introduction 289

Chapter 1 289Chapter 2 304Chapter 3 318Chapter 4 323Chapter 5 326BIBLIOGRAPHY 345

APPEND IX: EXAM PLES 366


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Figures

Fig . 1.0 Early Conceptions of Humor 6Fig . 1.1 Psychology and Humor 8Fig . 1.2 Poetical Am biguity 20Fig . 1.3 Bisociative Incongruity 28Fig . 1.4 Fundamental Types of Signs 32Fig . 1.5 The Bisociated Sign 34Fig . 1.6 Social Play, Hum or, and Joke Situations 40Fig. 2.0 Situation Model 60Fig . 2.1 Pxe's Reactions to Derisive Jokes 69Fig . 2.2 Structural and Dynamic Patterns of a Com ical Situation 71Fig . 2.3 Hum or Situation: Six Configurations 74-5Fig . 2.4 Processes of Humor Appreciation 94Fig. 2.5 Social Functions of Hum or. 108

Fig . 2.6 Structural Dynamics of Culture 113Fig . 2.7 Four Levels of Targeting : 120Fig. 2.8 Parameter Interdependences 123Fig . 2.9 Hum or Detonation 124Fig. 2.10 Play Frame Matches/Mismatches 138Fig. 2.11 Hum or Situation 142Fig. 3.1 Linguistic Strategies in Verbal Humor 148-9Fig . 3.2 Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic Reversals 154Fig. 3.3 Approaches to the Joke : A Comparison 162-3Fig. 3.4 "Obit Anus, Abit Onus" 171Fig. 3.5 The Marquis and the Bishop.. 173Fig . 3.6 The Hippie Hitchhiker 176Fig. 4.1 The Smile-Laugh Matrix 189Fig. 4.2 Smiling, Laughter, and Hum or. 190Fig. 4.3 The Development of Smiling 192Fig . 4.4 Sm ile: Excitation-Relaxation Cycle 193Fig . 4.5 Elicited Smiles 193Fig. 4.6 The Development of Laughter 202Fig. 5.1 Epigenesis in Ontogenesis 208Fig. 5.2 The Paradigmatic Twist 225Fig. 5.3 The Hum orous Artifact 231Fig. 5.4 Hum orous Behavior 233Fig. 5.5 Motivation in Humorous Play 234Fig. 5.6 Hum orous Text 239Fig. 5.7 The Polysemic Joke 245Fig. 5.8 Direct Targeted Behavior 275Fig. 5.9 Hum or Text: Words Replace Actions 277Fig. 5.10 The Joking Riddle 282

Fig. 6 The Semiogenesis of Humor and the Joke 288

humor_a semiogenetic approach

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