Fall Research Expo 2020

The Question of Immoral Humor

This research project explores arguments concerning immoral humor, its potential impact on American society, and the concern that engaging with immoral humor leads to the mass proliferation of discriminatory behavior. First, I briefly outline the three major theories of humor; the relief theory, superiority theory, and incongruity theory. These tie into the arguments of the scholars who provided detailed critques on the usage of immoral humor and its various dangers. I then provide two real-world examples of immoral humor in use and explain why one joke succeeded where the other failed. Finally, I contrast the three arguments against immoral humor with a theory of my own, drawing from a philosophic position rooted in experience and realism, making a case for immoral humor in modern society.

All of the topics discussed in this poster are expanded upon in a larger research paper avaliable through the QR code next to the title.

PRESENTED BY
PURM - Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
College of Arts & Sciences 2023
Advised By
Ralph Rosen
Professor
Join Jacques for a virtual discussion
PRESENTED BY
PURM - Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
College of Arts & Sciences 2023
Advised By
Ralph Rosen
Professor

Comments

I'm interested your take on the apology videos that plenty of white celebrities are having to make about using racist humor in their past (ex: Shane Dawson who used blackface). In your opinion, do these people deserve social punishments, like with cancel culture? Why/why not?

Hi Jacques! This was a really interesting read and I enjoyed listening to you talk about the subject. I've never thought of humor in an academic context but it was very enlightening to learn about the different theories of humor and look at differing reactions to immoral humor. Do you think that you will pursue further research into other types of humor (as well as other mediums of expression that you mentioned, such as music)?

Hey Jacques - this is so, so interesting and really relevant to the current political/cultural moment. An interesting way to expand this kind of research on humor and how we perceive it beyond the historical/political/sociological lens would perhaps be to look at it from a neuroscience perspective. There are a lot of really interesting studies that use brain imaging to assess our sense of morality and moral decision making on a cognitive level (here's just one for reference, if you're interested https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1895935/). It would be interesting to use this cognitive knowledge to add another dimension to the analysis of immoral humor. Again, super fascinating stuff; I really enjoyed this presentation.

Super interesting work! I loved how the research you did is relevant to our modern political landscape. I liked how you noted that immoral humor walks the line between "dangerous" and "funny," and appreciated your analysis on what differentiates the two reactions. 

Your poster is extremely thorough! I didn't even realize that there were academic theories to humor! Thank you for sharing this with us!

Great poster, I really enjoyed the topic. I think we often perceive "immoral" jokes to only be acceptable if the comedian has personal experience with what they're referencing. You mentioned the impact of the type of audience but do you think the validity of immoral humor changes based on who is telling the joke?