Rhetoric of Humor

4 Credits

You’ll learn the building blocks of humor by reading relevant theories from Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Freud (among others), each of whom offers a different perspective on what causes people to laugh. Then you will put these ideas to the test by applying them to humorous texts of all kinds: stand-up comedy, TV and film clips, and humorous essays. In addition, you’ll devote part of each week to short creative exercises meant to help you find your own comedic voice. Attribute/Distribution: HE, W