A Pessimist’s Theory of Humor
Schopenhauer on what’s funny — and why . . .
For me, personally, 2019 was a banner year for improbable humor. I ran across the room to see Chantix “slow turkey” commercials, every time they came on . . .
And I wasn’t alone. Drop by YouTube even now and type in “Chantix turkey.” Then be sure and look at the many comments: “hilarious,” “charming,” “calming,” “clever,” etc.
What made these comedic vignettes work so well? Incongruity.
We know that turkeys don’t go camping, mow the lawn, paddle-board, drive cars, watch television, make coffee, work jigsaw puzzles, or do any of the other things Slow Turkey does. But amazing animation and extraordinary attention to detail made those scenes seem perfectly believable.
And the more unlikely the activity, the more effective the comedy.
After Slow Turkey waddled off into the sunset, his place was taken by the Geico Gecko, who interacts seamlessly with the oversized human world — hanging out in bars, baking biscuits (aka cookies), getting stuck on a radio-controlled toy boat, and holding a yard sale.
He even has his own channel.
Those are just two examples of a reliable advertising strategy: incongruity is not only funny but memorable. And a pinch of…