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From: StEpHeN.wHiTe@p1.f853.n681.z3.fidonet.org 11PDAVIS GALLUA.BITNET (StEpHeN wHiTe)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Humor and the truth
Message-ID: <19180@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 4 May 91 04:34:43 GMT
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[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

From: 11PDAVIS@GALLUA.BITNET (Pete Davis)

(I hope the above is the correct way of replying)

 JW> Humor is a cultural experience.

 SW> Humour is culturally independant. Culture merely provides a
 SW> "database" of known things to ensure understanding of the joke.

 PD> Humor is not culturally independent, because (with some
 PD> exceptions, like slapstick) humor is intimately based on language,
 PD> and language and culture are inseparable.

So make language part of the cultural database, and what I said
still remains true.

The reason that I maintain this viewpoint is because it is the most
comprehensive in explaining humour. Trying to say that language is
the main provision for humour doesn't explain visual jokes,
laughter at near accidences, jokes about stuffups, and funny
situations.

I told this joke in sign language at the Deaf Youth group in
Canberra, and it was perfectly understood and well-received.

    A little boy wanted to go to the toilet. He asked his grandma to
    take him, but his mother offered to take him instead.

    The little boy said "No, I want Grandma to take me."

    The mother was hurt, and asked, "Why do you want Grandma to take
    you?"

    The little boy replied, "Because her hand shakes."

There is no language dependency in this joke - the basis for
understanding this joke lies in being a sexually aware human
being.

The key lies in understanding. Nobody can really laugh at something
they have no conceptualisation thereof.

People in SilentTalk have been asking for "Deaf Humour" classes. To
teach humour, the participants will have to incorperate the deaf
culture into their understanding, and ASL is an integral part of
deaf culture. ASL isn't _seperated_ into component units of
language and culture.

Take away language and culture, and the person will still be able
to laugh. This pretty much summarises my viewpoint that humour is
culturally independant.

Of course, you could go to the other extreme, and claim that being
human is a cultural experience. That would make your viewpoint
correct, however you did claim that humour is intimately based on
language, which I do not agree with.

I do appreciate your viewpoint though.

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