Paper short abstract:

Humor often relies on ambiguities that, for example, can be created by word plays, layers of irony and/or sarcasm. By playing on ambiguities comedians can play with stereotypes and express opinions which aren’t their own, but also express their own opinions in a way that sounds like a joke.

Paper long abstract:

Humor often relies on ambiguities. For example, the pun is a form of word play that exploits ambiguous meanings of a certain word. This can be illustrated by the following example: “Two antennas got married last Saturday. The reception was fantastic”. In this pun, the word “reception” can be interpreted in two different ways, which creates a comical effect. But the ambiguity of a joke can also be created by layers of irony and sarcasm. By playing on ambiguities comedians can express opinions which aren’t their own, but they can also express their own opinions in a way that sounds like a joke.

This paper will focus on the ambiguity of humor and how jokes can be interpreted in different ways. Debates about humor often center around comedians who have been criticized for telling jokes that are perceived as offensive to some individuals or groups in society. While the defenders of the comedians and the comedians themselves often emphasize the irony and sarcasm of their jokes and claim that they are “just joking”, the criticizers often emphasize the consequences and potential harm the jokes can have for some individuals or groups in society. Since humor relies on ambiguities, it can be challenging for researchers to analyze what the underlying purpose of a joke is and whether it for example reproduces or plays with (or maybe both at the same time) stereotypes and prejudices.