dehumour1-1, Exercise 3: Theories of humour and the stereotype

Model answer (check the details):

Why a culture with many theories might be called humourless: a society that publishes long, learned analyses of laughter (Kant, Jean Paul, Schopenhauer, Freud) can look as though it takes the subject too seriously, and the habit of dividing serious art from entertainment (E and U culture) can make comedy look like a lesser matter. Foreign observers see the seriousness and miss the jokes, especially when the jokes are in German.

Why that is a weak argument: theories of laughter show interest in laughter. Freud's book is a collection of jokes with analysis, and the theorists were describing a practice that already existed. Whether a culture writes about humour says nothing about whether people in it laugh.

A fair test of the stereotype:
1. Define what counts as a sense of humour (telling jokes, enjoying comedy, laughing at oneself, tolerating satire).
2. Look at the record: what comedy exists, how popular it is, and how long it has been produced.
3. Look at surveys of what people find funny, taking care with how they were run.
4. Compare with other countries using the same measures, not impressions.
5. Check who produces and repeats the stereotype and why.

Result to aim for: a statement about what the evidence shows, with the limits stated, not a yes or no.