Below is a list of examples that demonstrate different humor strategies. Check 'em out and choose!
Situational Humor plays on the situation's contextual details such as location, event, time, people, conventions, and/or intent.
Audience
The ideal audience for situational humor is a group of people who share common ground through experiencing their immediate situation. The example addresses that the situation is a rally and alludes to a convention of some rallies: misspelled signs.
Roles
The audience and user (i.e. sign-holder) must have the same amount of social power. The sign in the example could easily be held by a different person within the same situation and have the same effect.
Appropriate
Really consider if the situation is a sensitive topic for anyone in its proximity. The example sign would only be inappropriate if the audience were illiterate. But then they couldn't read it, anyway.
Situational Humor plays on the situation's contextual details such as location, event, time, people, conventions, and/or intent.
Use the canvas below to make a virtual sign or to sketch ideas for a physical one.
Your canvas awaits...
Audience
Stereotypes are bad! But, pick one to symbolize your audience. In this case, your audience is a group of people who share common ground with you because you're both currently in the same space (at least mental space) at the same time. Don't worry, your choice doesn't have to be accurate. Pick a character based on the experiences you'd guess they'd have.
Stereotypes
Roles
If you picture hierarchy or social imbalance in your interaction, it means you and your audience would no longer share common ground because of what you've communicated (bummer). If you think that'll happen, situational humor should not be used.
Appropriate
Situational humor is appropriately used when the situation is orchestrated based on a shared belief, interest, perspective, etc. by the people present. If influenced by tragic circumstances, it's probably best to avoid referencing the details.
Opposing Context humor happens when there is a contrast between subject matter and the environment in which it exists.
Audience
The ideal audience is the specific group of people who can deeply relate to both the subject matter referenced and the environment. In the example, a Steelers sign is at a political rally and will form common ground with passing Steelers fans who also attended the rally.
Roles
Opposing context works best when it exists as a one-way interaction. The sign-holder role assumes the majority of the attention without giving give much back to the audience. In the example, a passing Steelers fan would most likely admire the humor behind the Steelers sign but probably wouldn't feel inclined to hold their own Steelers sign.
Appropriate
If the reasons for the context (e.g. a rally) are inspired by something tragic, alluding to a random topic might be inappropriate. Also, appropriate subject matter must be relevant to
someone around you. In the example, the Steelers were playing a game the day of the rally, so holding a Steelers sign was fitting for the fans present at the rally.
Opposing Context humor happens when there is a contrast between subject matter and the environment in which it exists.
Use the canvas below to make a virtual sign or to sketch ideas for a physical one.
Your canvas awaits...
Audience
Stereotypes are bad! So, pick one to symbolize your audience. In this case, your audience is a niche group of people who is currently in the same space as you but will also relate to a specific out-of-place reference. Your choice doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be) accurate!
Stereotypes
Roles
Now that you've gone and stereotyped people (maybe even yourself), make sure they're going to admire and respect your venture. You have more power in the interaction, so focus on what kind of reaction you'd like to get from them. If potential audience members might not be enthusiastic about your effort, you should probably use a different humor strategy.
Appropriate
Ensure that the subject matter you reference has absolutely no relationship with your specific environment. Take emotional cues from the environment. Remember the idea is not to reference subject matter that would be controversial within the environment, but subject matter that looks out of place in the environment. Additionally, reference something you know a present group of people will find relevant.
Scale Change produces humor when there is a graphical contrast of a binary, usually large and small.
Audience
Because scale change is a simple and broad concept, it can be made to work for any and every audience. The trick is to choose
content that works correctly for an audience. This often means combining scale change with another strategy. The example uses scale change to accentuate the message, "Blessed are the meek."
Roles
Because it's a classic and common technique, using scale change by itself means giving yourself less power in the interaction with your audience. Humor is about surprise, so a strategy that's used often means it's a weaker strategy. In the example the audience sees the scale change strategy before the actual message, thus the surprise isn't all that surprising.
Appropriate
It's obvious: some scale change comparisons are offensive (especially when comparing people). In general, be weary of using scale change unless the content absolutely lends itself to it. In the example, the phrase on the sign refers to "the meek." Since "meek" has a connotation with size, scale change works well.
Scale change produces a humorous effect when there is a graphical contrast of a binary, usually large and small.
Use the canvas below to create a virtual sign and/or to just play with some ideas.
Your canvas awaits...
Audience
Stereotypes are bad! So, pick one to symbolize your audience. Your audience can be really broad, but this is mostly dependent on what you're comparing exactly. Using scale change often means also using another strategy that infers a better idea of a target audience. But, stereotype away, anyway!
Stereotypes
Roles
So, like, what do you want out of this? If you are just using scale change and no other strategy in addition, you're connecting with the audience on a very innate but superficial level. --Keep this in mind during deployment.
Appropriate
Be weary of graphical representations that contrast to an extremity and could upset some people. It's most appropriate to use scale change when the content absolutely lends itself to it--It should not be decided for use by a compromise, and if it's all you've got, incorporate at least one more strategy.
Cultural, regional, and social values can inform the best humorous experience for your audience!
Use one of the map tools to place your character in the world.
Identify by U.S. region
