r mortals" (Marsh, 1990, p. 114). Examples of verbal humor which involve derision include ethnic jokes and "put-down" jokes. In both cases, people create jokes by asserting their superiority over others. A derisive form of visual humor can be found in caricatures which emphasize the unusual features of people. Sometimes, even when the visual image is of someone we respect, like the President, we laugh because the caricature makes him look comical or ugly. Such caricatures degrade famous people and show that they are simply human, just like the rest of us.
A derisive form of physical humor can be found, for example, in the antics of a group like The Three Stooges. In this type of humor, people laugh when they see the misfortunes of three men who are obviously inferior to them. When a person in a slapstick comedy slips on a banana peel, or is otherwise hurt, people seem to laugh because they identify with their superiority over the situation. However, despite these various examples of derisive humor, it can be seen that the theory alone is not enough to explain what makes people laugh in all cases. For example, there are many cases in which we do not laugh but rather feel pity for someone who is inferior and suffering. Therefore, although the superiority theory helps to explain humor in some cases, it is not enough to provide a complete
...