humor studies from the Nilsens

1. 1
Sarcasm
by Don L. F. Nilsen
and Alleen Pace Nilsen

2. 2
The Onion
The Onion has a sarcastic slogan. It is:
“America’s Finest News Source.”
The Onion Web Site:
http://www.theonion.com

3. Monte Python on “Sarcasm”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fNvi6xG-5Y
3

4. 4
Three Types of Irony or Sarcasm:
• More than 2,000 years ago, the Roman
rhetorician Quintilian concluded that there
three types of irony or sarcasm.
• These occur whenever the literal meaning of
a statement does not fit with:
– The delivery of the statement
– The character of the speaker
– Or the topic of the statement

5. 5
Ironic Insults:
• Ironic insults, where the positive literal
meaning is subverted by the negative
intended meaning, will be perceived to
be more positive than direct insults,
where the literal meaning is negative.

6. 6
Occupation, Gender and Social Class
as Indicators of Sarcasm
Occupation, gender, and social class allow a person to
predict how often a speaker will use sarcasm, and
how often an audience will detect its usage.
For example, if the speaker is a priest the listener
would not generally assume that sarcasm is being
used.
But if the speaker is a comedian, the listener would
general assume that sarcasm is being used.

7. 7
Gendered Sarcasm
Stacey Ivanko, Penny Pexman, and Kara
Olineck say that men tend to use sarcasm
more frequently than women do.
Also, men tend to use sarcasm in a self-
protective manner to cover their insecurities.
But women tend to use self-deprecating
sarcasm to show their own vulnerability, and
to promote in-group intimacy.

8. 8
Sarcasm Web Sites
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM:
http://www.hbo.com/curb-your-enthusiasm/index.html
IGOODESMAN AND JOO:
http://cartoonando.blogspot.com/2008/04/1000-posts.html
JIMMY KIMMELL:
http://abc.go.com/latenight/jimmykimmel/index?pn=index

9. 9
DAVID LETTERMAN:
http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/
PACHELBELL RANT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
SARCMARK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlwCCWGYOGg
SOUTHPARK:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155394/?tab=featured

10. 9
DAVID LETTERMAN:
http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/
PACHELBELL RANT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM
SARCMARK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlwCCWGYOGg
SOUTHPARK:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/155394/?tab=featured