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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
5 pages in length. Humor is as much an interpretive device as cultural customs or personal experiences. To bypass the ambiguity inherently associated with humor is to realize the vast implications of syntax, language barriers and cultural "insider" aspects of content. The extent to which ambiguity simultaneously adds to and confounds the presence of humor is both grand and far-reaching; that this multiple meaning sometimes leads to confusion, misinterpretation or even misplaced irritation speaks to the fundamental relationship between humor and ambiguity. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
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5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: LM1_TLCHumorAmb.rtf
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of content. The extent to which ambiguity simultaneously adds to and confounds the presence of humor is both grand and far-reaching; that this multiple meaning sometimes leads to confusion,
misinterpretation or even misplaced irritation speaks to the fundamental relationship between humor and ambiguity. "...The potentiality that language has for ambiguity, both in the numerous meanings of individual words
and in its many grammatical structures, is an ever-lurking source of humor, and also a danger to the writer" (Ambiguity In Action: A Bawdy Count). One of the most
common occurrences where humor and ambiguity meet is the speakers unintentional funny comment; indeed, a serious speech can inadvertently create a humorous situation when, for example, the speaker misapplied the
basics of syntax and turned a simple sentence into something that either makes no sense or completely misconstrues the orators meaning. Stageberg provides myriad examples of these accidental slips
of the tongue whereby an otherwise serious lecture is punctuated by error-induced laughter. The following sentence is indicative of most unfortunate sentence structure: "Since this is Easter Sunday, well
ask Mrs. Abercrombie to come forward and lay an egg on the altar" (Ambiguity In Action: A Bawdy Count). Even though the listening or reading audience knows precisely the
speakers intent, the order of the words brings forth a humorous image of Mrs. Abercrombie actually squatting on the altar and producing an egg. Humors presence is virtually everywhere, waiting
for the most inopportune time to come forth and shift an audiences entire focus. However, there are also times when intentional ambiguity is the focal point of a humorous
situation, not the least of which includes its use as a persuasive device. More today than ever before, humor is a critical component in contemporary society; the manner by
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