process blog

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misdirection

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I find it interesting how humans cannot fully explain humor, so we leave it to technology to develop algorithms and sense patterns in what we find funny. We have theories, but no clear answer.

It’s also interesting to see how far technology has advanced in terms of artificial intelligence. For a robot to learn humor and formulate it, something that seems like such a concept exclusive to the living, it blurs the line between humans and artificial intelligence.

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I do not think robots can be funny, rather their programmers are. They are not purposefully attempting humor; it is within their program and script, I feel. You can program a personality but unless the robot has self awareness, I do not think that they themselves can be funny.

However, it is interesting to see the combination of arts and technology come forth to create this new form of humor. I quite enjoy seeing the advancements in both aspects of this video.

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This Sesame Street clip utilizes absurdity to teach a lesson through humor. The viewer is taught that they are a bad person if they make a promise and do not commit to it. The puppets that waited for Elmo were subjected to the trials of time, waiting endlessly on Elmo to appear for the sake of playing with them. Elmo did not only make them wait, he asked them to wait by a tree, which was sentient and moved because the waiting puppets bored it.

The play, in essence, did not seem to make much more sense than to simply explain a lesson. Most of Sesame Street’s skits are a medium to instill manners and morality in young children.

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VRL 1

As I read “Why Women Aren’t Funny” by Christopher Hitchens, it opened my eyes to the way humor is lead by cultural values.

I simply do not agree with Hitchens’ argument that women are not as funny as men due to biological differences. It is such a heavily cisgendered view of humor. I believe we are conditioned from childhood to perceive men as funnier.

The argument that men are funny to impress women as some sort of mating ritual is interesting, but again, I do not find it to be true. There are many qualities that people search for in a lover, but being funny is not always the main reason why anyone would begin to date someone.

In the end, gender is a heavily western concept and to ascribe humor to it only makes Hitchens’ view also western. His argument is focused on biological factors and hormones when it should really focus on the patriarchal society that conditions one to think this way. In essence, I am saying his sense of humor is probably not very funny to me.