Why Are Things Funny?

Why are things funny? Let's talk about that. [Music]. Good Mythical Morning. Be sure to click through at the end of. this video to watch Good Mythical More. That's the show after the show. If you. want more, there it is. Okay. Now, we try very hard to be funny. Are you talking to me? And why was that funny? See, people. laughed. Why was that funny? That is the.

question. You see, because you tend to. think that things are just funny because. it's like, well, I don't know. It's just. funny. But there is there's a science to. it. Okay. So, we're getting. there's an underlying reason. The psych we're getting into the. psychology of comedy here. I think this. is dangerous territory. Um, so. because you feel like we might spoil. magic. Spoil the magic. No, I don't think I'm going to mess with. spoilers today, but I, you know, is this. dangerous to try to analyze this? Are. things going to become less funny by. watching this episode? Cuz I want to.

look out for these people. Or are we. just going to learn more? Are we going. to be able to laugh more or less as a. result of this? I don't know or care. You've just done research. So, you want. to tell us? I've done some research. Oh, you're going to do this? Okay. But I want to know first before I give. you the scientific uh explanations. I. want to know why you think things are. funny. Oh, so like the unscientific thing for. me? The link reason. I think things are. funny because uh you know the whole. principle of comic relief tension builds. up you know tension builds up in your.

body and if it's you know if it's in. here. and so you know I don't mean to go I. don't mean to go here but uh. but you're going to. but you you know tension builds up and. you fart and then if you like so. laughter is like farting out of your. mouth. Put that on. Let me tell you right now that would be. funny. I don't know why it would, but I. can tell you right now. it's a release of tension. I think. is like a fart from your mouth. I think we can just end it now. I think. that you that might have been the.

funniest thing you've ever said. Mystery solved. Okay. There's a number of theories that. are all very scientific. The first one. is the superiority theory. What you mean the second one? I just. gave one. Uh the other one other than Link's. theory is that uh the this is the idea. that we have a tendency to laugh at the. misfortune of others. This goes back to. Plato and Aristotle. They talked about. this, believe it or not. And uh. they're bullies. They laughed at the. misfortune of others. This is the kind of thing that you're. out on the playground and something. happens to one kid and all the rest of. the kids.

Point and laugh. Point and laugh. You know, or you know, something like this. What the Stop stop. [Laughter]. What? So, I'm the freaking object. I'm the I What am I? The learning. object. What's it called? It's an experiment, man. Hey, you do it to me. That's fine. It'll. still be It still be funny. Watch. I. don't even think there's any more left. Yeah, I think there is.

What is You went right for the temple. I'm going for the I should have went for. the. You're going for the kill. Am I supposed to do the whole episode. like this now? Oh, I need. I'm not going to wipe. See, that was also funny. Fart from your. mouth. Potty humor is really all we really know. how to do around. So, I think that's definitely funny. Uh, you know, cuz it's it's funny that this. I look like I've been in a chewing gum. accident. Okay. There's also uh the benign.

violation theory. In the late 90s, a. theorist named Thomas Vich offered a. model called the benign violation. theory. And this is the idea that we. laugh when something is Please don't eat. that. Did you eat it? No. Uh, when something is violated like. morals, social co code, linguistic. norms, or personal dignity, but the. violation isn't threatening like this. Gosh, man. A wet willy.

I KNOW IT WAS A WET WILLY. YOU DON'T. HAVE TO LABEL IT. You. No, if there's a third one, I'm going to. get up. You can do it back to me. I. don't care. I don't want to do it. It's not going to be funny now. That's interesting. It's not a violation. Why is it not going to be funny the. second time? Oh, hey D. You're going for MY HEY, YOU. GOT TO KNOW HOW TO DO IT, MAN. YOU GOT. TO come in like this and twist. I don't want to go. You're trying to go. for my eardrum, man. I'll bust my.

eardrum. That wouldn't be funny. Like I said, so anyway, I wet Willie Blank. He. didn't. You were totally like you saw. it. You were like looking down to the. glasses like I was like, I'm going in. There's no ways. That was funny. I. violated your personal dignity. I don't care who you who. Okay. The second. It's nice to know that I have personal. dignity. Right. I think that that's the positive spin. here. Link has personal dignity. Another idea is the inongruity and. inongruity resolution theory. And this. is the idea. This is a little more more. complex. This is the idea that when.

there is an inongruity between what we. expect and what actually happens, we. think it's funny. something that's. unexpected, something that's sudden, something that's a shift in perspective, something that gets that all gets. assimilated into the inongruity theory. Now, I'm not going to do I'm what I'm. going to do is I'm not going to make you. a victim here. I'm going to tell you a. joke that my kids tell me all the time. What's a pirate's favorite letter? R. No, the C.

You made a little noise in there. A. pirate noise. I hear some rum was coming. up. That's me. That's a monk. Oh. So, but okay. But see, why was that funny? They get you because And then. cuz pirates are funny. And then if they ask you later in the. day, they say, "Hey, Dad, what's a. pirate's favorite letter?" And I say, "The C." And they say, "No, R." So, in. other words, they're they get you every. single time because they give you the. thing that you can't get right. It's. unexpected. In a lot of jokes, it's.

inongruent. But it's also something like. if I just snap my fingers and turn into. a puppet. just like that. See, I do see what you've you what you did. there. Why do you think this is funny? That's. the question. I just think it's Well, you're a puppet. I mean, I I don't really go for that. type of humor. It was totally unexpected. Am I supposed to be talk? You want me to. be talking to the puppet? This is like, you know, this is like. when there's a real human guest on. Sesame Street, except that would be a.

lot more validating than this. I feel. like uh. I just feel like this might just be a. touch lame. Would you still be my best friend if I. was a puppet? That's the question. You mean like a one-armed puppet? Where's your other arm? Where's your. other hand? You can grab it. You can pull it down. I. don't have any control over it. You don't have the stick that goes with. it? No, I don't I wouldn't know how to. control it anyway. What is up with my neck? I had a hiatal hernia. Yeah, what is that? Sorry. Let me see. That's not a hot.

That's a tracheotomy, dude. Yeah, I choked on a hot dog and they had. to perform an emergency tracheotomy. Are we still learning something here? Cuz I'm. I'm trying to be funny for science. Now. listen, I think the joke was in the the moment. you were a a puppet, but actually being. a puppet is not that funny to me. This is totally unexpected. If I snap my. puppet fingers and I turn into a zebra. Hey Link, I'm a zebra. I get it. I mean the puppet changing to. a puppet. Okay. That.

this is pretty funny. You gotta admit. it's pretty funny. I But this is So you're saying this is. inongruent. Do you think my voice is funny? Was that. it? Were you expecting me to have a. different voice? I I don't even know how to play along. with this. It's just kind of awkward. Don't touch my snout. [Laughter]. I'm making myself laugh. Well, I'm. making my the puppeteer laugh. cuz I'm so unexpectedly funny.

Your your uh your mouth isn't moving. And here I am. I'm talking to the zebra. It worked. Okay, I can stop this. I I feel like I've learned something. I. don't know what exactly. I'll just. process this later. Uh let me know in. the comments what I learned from this. episode. And what about fart jokes? I. mean, I started with a fart joke, but I. didn't You didn't mention a fart joke. You want me I could be the zebra again. in part for you. All right. You know. what time it is. I'm Peter. and I'm Maria. We're from Croatia.

It's time to spin. the wheel of mythicality. Here we go. And remember to click. through at the end of this video to good. mythical. That's the show after the. show. Submit your suggestions for what. should be on the wheels. Also, Rhett's left hand tries to murder Link. As if I haven't been through enough. today. Oh, yeah. I think that is good. Whoa. Will you help me clean myself up. here? I. I have I have no control. I SORRY. WHAT? YOU STOP MY LEFT I DON'T HAVE ANY. CONTROL OVER THIS.

OH, WHAT? YOUR LEFT HAND? YEAH, MY LEFT HAND IS TOTALLY ON ITS. OWN. IT'S TOTALLY ON ITS OWN. IT WANTS. TO KILL YOU SO BAD. It's I can. right. I'm just saying I may not make it back. So, if you have anything you want to. tell me, well, let's make funeral plans. What do you want? I'll speak a snow ranch theme.