Everyone likes to laugh, but there are different theories about why we do so.
Humour: a Very Short Introduction, newly acquired by the Thammasat University Libraries, gives a philosophical analysis of why and how we are amused. As the publisher describes it, Humour: A Very Short Introduction
considers the relation of humour to emotion and cognition, explores the value of humour in its social functions, and examines the leading humour theories including The Superiority Theory and The Incongruity Theory. Humour, known in every human culture, can serve many functions; it can be used to relieve stress, to promote goodwill among strangers, to dissipate tension within a fractious group, and to display intelligence.
Its author, Noël Carroll, is professor of philosophy at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He has published scholarly works on the philosophy of art, media theory, and the philosophy of history. Among Professor Carroll’s other books in the TU Libraries collection are The Philosophy of Horror or Paradoxes of the Heart; Interpreting the Moving Image; Philosophy of Art: a Contemporary Introduction; The Philosophy of Motion Pictures; and On Criticism. Professor Carroll states that he wrote The Philosophy of Horror, which discusses horror novels, stories, and film to show his parents that all the time he spent with horror stories when he was young was not a total loss. On why we laugh, Professor Carroll discusses some past theories, such as we are amused when we feel better than someone or something else being laughed at. Another theory claims that laughing is a form of emotional release. Still others see it as a form of play, or we laugh when something seems out of place, not where we expect it to be. Whatever causes laughter, Professor Carroll admits that jokes can do harm. A joke can be very negative, depending on who tells it, and with what purpose.
Humor in Thailand
In The International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Ajarn Chantima Wangsomchok published an article about linguistic strategies to express humor in Thailand. Ajarn Chantima is a lecturer in Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Bangkok, where she teaches English. Analyzing five Thai situation comedies on television, Ajarn Chantima identified six categories of humor-related speech acts:
Expressing condescension, boasting, blaming, threatening, satire, and teasing.
She concluded that humor in Thai situation comedies is
closely associated with an emotion of superiority and aggression created by the speaker.
She also notes that humor
can be brought about by a speaker intentionally telling a lie to confuse the hearer or audience.
Ajarn Chantima observes that a sense of humor may be seen as
part of the creative activity of humans. She cites the example of the following joke:
A man helps an elderly woman to cross the road in Thailand.
Man: Do you have any relatives who take care of you?
Elderly woman: Yes, I have. I have one younger brother and one younger sister. The younger sister lives in Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand, and the younger brother lives in Rayong, in the south of Thailand.
Man: Why do they not invite you to live with them?
Elderly woman: One wants me to live in Chiang Mai, and the other wants me to live in Rayong.
Man: You are so lucky. Both want to take care of you.
Elderly woman: No, the one who lives in Chiang Mai wants me to go to Rayong, while the one who lives in Rayong wants me to to go to Chiang Mai.
Ajarn Chantima points out that the basis of this joke is uncertain meaning. When the word one is used to describe the brother or sister of the elderly woman, it is not clear which person is being referred to. Therefore the listeners has expectations which are surprised by the end of the joke:
The example above led you to expect one thing, but finally another thing is revealed. The clash between what you expect and what you discover is the trigger for the potential humor.
In 2004, Khun Thitirat Phukanchana earned a Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi by writing the thesis, Strategic Uses of Humor in the Workplace: A Comparative Study between Thais and Americans. Khun Thitirat pointed out:
It is compelling to speculate that Thai and American organizational members are likely to use humor differently in their communication at work. Data were collected from faculty and staff at Ramkhamhaeng University in Thailand and at the University of Southern Mississippi in the United States. Both Thai and American participants responded to questionnaires…The findings derived from this study indicated that Thai and American cultural values influenced the ways in which Thai and American organization members used humor as strategic communication to achieve their individuals’ and organizations’ goals. When comparing the way in which the Americans and the Thais used humor with their superiors and coworkers, Thai cultural values of respect for authority and American values of individuality and equality appeared as key differences. Both Thais and Americans perceived humor as a strategy to manage difficult situations, express negative feelings to others, and to create a positive working environment.
How farang people see Thai humor.
On some online message boards, farangs sometimes discuss what Thai people seem to find funny, based on what is shown on television or their personal experiences with Thai friends and colleagues. One farang writes:
After a year and half of eating lunch (and often dinner) with my colleagues at least 5 times a week, they STILL find it funny each mealtime to try and persuade me (a vegetarian) to eat pork or chicken!!! Sigh…
In reply to this posting, a farang ajarn offers this explanation:
I have sympathy for your situation, but unfortunately I fear that your colleges will tell that joke (if you can call it that) and laugh at it forever. In the English department I work in, the Thai staff has been making the same little jokes since the day I arrived four years ago. I’m not sure if you can call it joking at that point. I think the repetition serves to call attention to a kind of group membership by familiarity with the joke and laughing signals membership in the group. This is the only analysis that I can come up with because I just can’t believe any human could find the same joke funny day after day, year after year.
Another farang states:
Thai TV ads win numerous awards for their offbeat humor. I think the humor in Thailand depends on the person you are dealing with; as everywhere, everyone finds slapstick funny, but a lot of people also enjoy punning, etc. So, is there a Thai sense of humor? I’d be hard pressed to say there is one humor specific to everyone.
Some people enjoy word play while others enjoy more physical comedy with people falling down and other rough antics. It depends on the individual. The reason that the word slapstick refers to wild physical activity is that hundreds of years ago, stage actors in Europe would hit each other with a piece of wood that made a loud noise but did not hurt. This stick that they slapped each other with to get laughs was called a slap stick. The word slapstick was used to describe classic silent film comedies by such well-known stars as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Laurel and Hardy. It is still used today. Still another farang comments:
Slapstick is a hit with my wife and her sister. They really laugh hard when they watch America’s Funniest Animals or America’s Funniest People. My wife also had a lot of laughs watching Mr. Bean (British comedian). He doesn’t speak and his comedy is really physical/situational. We’re not good enough with crossing languages to get into subtle linguistic humor… but we seem to give each other a good laugh from time to time. Again, it is mostly gestures, facial expressions, or situational stuff.
Finally, other farangs point out:
Yes, you don’t need to know any jokes to make Thais laugh. Unless you are well practiced in the language, attempts to speak Thai (beyond the usual expressions) will often bring tears of laughter to their eyes…My wife finds [the American HBO-TV series] The Sopranos funny, no idea why, something to do with fat farangs shooting each other and swearing a lot.
One Thai comedian who has recently gained international attention is the TV satirist Winyu Wongsurawat, known as John, who was profiled and interviewed last year in Time Magazine and The New York Times.
(all images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).