The Evolution of the Funny: American Folk Humor and Gimbel’s Cleverness Theory

Liz Sills

doi:10.1515/phhumyb-2020-0008

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The Evolution of the Funny: American Folk Humor and Gimbel’s Cleverness Theory

Liz Sills
Northern State University;

Published/Copyright: May 18, 2020

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From the journal The Philosophy of Humor Yearbook Volume 1 Issue 1

Abstract

In 2017, Steven Gimbel published Isn’t That Clever: A Philosophical Account of Humor and Comedy. This book proposes, among other vastly interesting notions, a definition of humor that eschews audience reactions in favor of focusing exclusively on the craft and intention of the responsible comedian. This article intends to provoke that definition and show why humorous performances cannot be crafted without an audience-centric mindset, proving Gimbel’s notion problematic at best. To poke this definition, I draw on the American Folk Humor tradition and compare its historic roots with modern tourist attractions that on the surface appear to channel its spirit. These include the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue dinner show at Walt Disney World and The Brewery Follies at Virginia City, Montana. After showcasing the differences between these modern performances and the tradition they pretend to espouse, I conclude that Gimbel’s theory cannot account for the evolution of a funny genre.

Keywords: folk humor; funniness; comedy; tourism

About the author

Liz Sills

Northern State University;

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Published Online: 2020-05-18

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/phhumyb-2020-0008

Keywords for this article

folk humor; funniness; comedy; tourism