From: Erin Noonan (enoonan@kent.edu)
Date: Fri Oct 04 2002 - 22:13:06 BST
hi rick,
that's the study. This article had some different
information I thought I would add in. Here it is:
Germans were the most likely to find all types of jokes funny, while
Canadians were the least amused of the 10 top responding nations.
The British, Irish, Australians and New Zealanders favored jokes
involving wordplay, while continental Europeans liked jokes with a
surreal bent. Americans and Canadians preferred jokes invoking a
strong sense of superiority.
Wiseman said jokes work "for lots of different reasons. They sometimes
make us feel superior to others, reduce the emotional impact of
anxiety-provoking situations or surprise us because of some kind of
incongruity."
The winning joke about the hunters, he said, "contained all three
elements."
Computer analysis also threw up a number of arcane humor "facts." Not
all animal jokes, for example, are created equal -- jokes mentioning
ducks were rated as funnier than other jokes.
And length matters. Jokes containing 103 words were thought to be
especially funny. The winning joke is 102 words long.
The runner-up is considerably longer:
"Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip. After a good
dinner and a bottle of wine, they retire for the night, and go to
sleep.
Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend.
'"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.
'"I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes,' replies Watson.
'"And what do you deduce from that?'
Watson ponders for a minute.
'"Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of
galaxies
and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that
Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is
approximately
a quarter past three. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a
beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see that God is all
powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the
universe. What does it tell you, Holmes?'
"Holmes is silent for a moment. 'Watson, you idiot!" he says. 'Someone
has stolen our tent!"'
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