Humour as a Double-Edged sword
By John C Mayer

John C Meyer is a professor at the University of Kansas in America, who has done research into the ’communication theory ’ an idea that looks at the make up of all forms of communication The area that interests me is his research into Humour and how it divides and unifies people.‘
Communication theory is a large topic and there are many books devoted to it, in short it breaks down the codes and conventions of communication and looks at the science behind why it works and what contexts its used in. Meyer’s book has a chapter called: “humour as a double edged sword”. It serves to look at the problem with using humour as a source of communication, because of its tendency’s to be misinterpreted.
I find the scientific approach to humour interesting because I have always seen humour as a more natural thing. But after a look into Meyer’s research, his findings seem to make more sense to me. Just like anything else humour can be investigated from a scientific point of view.
This chapter does not deal with film specifically or even animation. But as humour it is Easley connected with the subject at hand. All the different points that make people laugh are seen in many mediums that use humour and the aspects of communication theory can be picked out in most sources of communication that use humour
This article has been especially helpful in my essay because it breaks down humour into what it sees at its main points. I don’t believe that it is so easy to define humour and that it has far more to do with its delivery then its content, nevertheless this article has been useful for me to give examples of how my theories conflict with its own.