In two recent posts, I touched on both nonverbal and verbal types of formal humor. In this one, I continue our review of the latter category by discussing two styles of humor seen quite regularly in ...

In a National Rifle Association (NRA) TV ad from February of this year a man stands in front of a TV screen that airs a series of clips. Among them is a shot of John Oliver saying the words “National ...

This week I’m going to be taking a look at sarcasm. If that revelation just prompted you to say to yourself, “Big deal, Mr. Word Guy,” well, congratulations. You just used sarcasm. I also plan to take ...

In his interview with Bill Moyers, Salman Rushdie talked about the recent strife brought about by the publication of cartoons seen by many Muslims as deeply offensive. Rushdie said: "What kind of god ...

Editor’s note: Our friend Danna Young is a scholar of, among other things, the intersection of entertainment and information — particularly humor’s use within the political landscape and the ways in ...

With shows like “The Chair,” a fresh group of storytellers are using college life to explore — and lampoon — privilege and identity. A photo collage created with images from “The Chair” (2021) as part ...