Sudden resolution of cognitive incongruencies often causes a rush or euphoria that includes joy and laughter (Berlyne, 1969; Zillman, 2000a). Humor (including funny jokes) develops from a puzzling incongruency that suddenly is resolved. The resolution is often due to a plot or punch-line that allows the audience to comprehend and to solve such incongruency. But the case of nonsense humor, a resolution might just as well bethe realization that there is nothing to resolve (cf. Zillman, 2000a).

Bryant, J. (2008). Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research (Lea’s Communication Series). New York: Routledge. P. 541

So humor seems to root from either the plot or punchline resolving a proposed problem, or a discovery that there was no problem to start with. This seems to be one of the problems when describing Japanese humor, because Western humor seems to assume the presence of linearity in the context, flow, and a resolution in any form of humor. On the other hand, there are more humor in Japan (and perhaps Eastern nations) that even lack the context in which incongruities can be proposed.

I wonder if it has to do with the high degree of cultural agreement of what can be considered “funny” or not, and that that takes the need away of contextual linearity?

I mean, how do you explain this?

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