Cause for Pause

Essay 1

What Makes us Laugh?

Due Feb. 17th

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The goal of this first essay is to compose a critically informed exploration of your chosen topic area. In order to accomplish this you must first select a specific type of humor to examine. Spend some time giving this topic some consideration as all of your essays for the semester will in some way be related to this topic.

This topic should be fairly specific, but no overly so. For instance, Katt Williams is likely not broad enough to write four essays about, while African-American Stand-up Comedians should offer enough material. Looking at Political Satire on Television is much better than choosing only The Daily Show. Writing on Scary Movie 2 is too narrow, but examining Spoof Movies works. Be sure to clear topics with me before beginning work as there are many, many options possible.

Additionally, for this essay, restrict examples and examinations to only the past twenty years, since 1990. Essay 2 will allow for examination of humor prior to that era.

Once you have chosen a topic area, perform research and compose a 1000 word, 4-5 page essay that responds to the following prompt:

Your browser may not support display of this image. The first two essays in Laughing Matters, by Henri Bergson and Murray Davis, theorize from a few different perspectives about how humor works. Including a discussion of these writers' principles, particularly Bergson's theories on humor as social corrective and Davis' theories on incongruity and ambiguity, examine the way in which humor works within a specific type, genre, or style of humor in a contemporary context. Essentially, you must create a well-reasoned argument for why it is that people find this particular sort of humor humorous. Provide many specific examples along with the application of your theory.


Research Requirements

5 Sources

1 Scholarly/secondary source

1 Book nonfiction/secondary source

1 Primary source

1 Creative/media source

1 Reliable source of any kind

Use MLA documentation and formatting style for this essay.