Slapstick Humor

From the Paper:

"There are three different ways of laughing. These may sound the same to the uninitiated, but in fact they are very different from each other. There is in the first place laughter by those who have power against those who do not. This is laughter that is meant to keep people in their place, although this aspect of power is often not acknowledged and may even be denied. This is the laughter of the adult at the child who mispronounces a word, the laughter of a man at a woman who does not know how to avoid a kiss or a fondle, the laugh of an employer at an employee who comes in late because his car has broken down, the laughter of a master at a slave. This is a form of laughter that sets up boundaries, that excludes the person being laughed at from membership in the group belonged to by the person with superior power. "

More papers on Slapstick Humor:

• Book Review # 99975 : "Humor in "The Canterbury Tales"
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• Book Review # 115215 : "Companionship in "Waiting for Godot"

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