The Types of humor Main are absurd, white, crude, grotesque, hacker, black, satirical, sarcastic, dry and green.
What is considered comical or that provokes a state of exaltation derived in laughter, is a sensation that presents / displays a wide range of nuances. Within the various categories such as verbal, nonverbal, literary and graphic humor, it is not possible to cover the entire spectrum related to possible causes, such as psychological, philosophical and even pysosomatic aspects.
There are psychological theories that encapsulate in a rather concise way the type of mood present in humans and manifested in various ways. So it is with philosophy that, although it is a little explored subject, theories are well known: superiority, relief, juxtaposed incongruence and more.
As a sensation that is externalized by means of involuntary mechanisms or not, humor can present a classification based on the content of what is said, seen, perceived, known or heard.
Following this premise, experts in the subject have described various classes as: absurd humor, white, crude, grotesque, hacker, black, satirical, sarcastic, dry and green.
Classification of mood types
Absurd humor
Also known as surreal, superrealistic and with affinity with the grotesque if it is understood as an alternate reality of the human being. It uses verbal or written expressions, as well as representations, which evoke unreal, impossible or inconsistent situations in relation to the daily life that manifests itself objectively.
This denomination can also be applied to circumstances that are meaningless and do not seem to have a congruent explanation. This kind of humorous representation covers the entire spectrum of the imagination, so it may be difficult to understand. Likewise, this distortion presents a paradoxical quality that glimpses the essential of reality.
Among the popular references there are groups such as Monty Python from the 60s to 80s that was a great influence for several generations. The same happens with the Spanish Faemino and Tired, series like Muchachada Nui and cartoons like Looney Tunes, Ren & Stimpy, SpongeBob, Gumball, A show more, Dexter's laboratory, Clarence, among others.
White humor
This kind of representation is based on references that express a healthy or clean humorous idea, free from crudeness or a tacit negative connotation. It is a much more innocent form of communication destined for children, adolescents and representatives without resorting to offensive forms or any kind of bad intention.
This notion of purity, leaves aside the mockery, cynicism, irony, racism, sexism, among other forms of expression. This childlike character makes it appropriate for any occasion, especially when it is not wanted to offend anyone from the audience. It is also known as a parlor joke for having that tendency to avoid insults or obscenities.
Some emblematic figures of this sort are the Mexicans Chespirito, Capulina and Mauricio Herrera. In addition, the trio of Spanish clowns Gaby, Fofó and Miliki, along with the Chilean Firulete and the Costa Rican Gorgojo, have excelled in this genre. Animated children's films also feature recurring examples of this kind of humor.
Crude humor
The basis of this humorous idea lies in situations or circumstances that are embarrassing, ridiculous and painful for those involved. Called slapstick in Anglo-Saxon culture, it is charged with real or simulated body violence to generate the desired effect on the audience.
This type of physical comedy also involves high doses of explicit sexual references, obscene words or vulgarities, and all kinds of cruelty or excess related to the body and images of injured people. Given its visual nature, it is basically portrayed in ways that allow it to enjoy it more directly.
Shows that made this style of comedy fashionable and are widely recognized began with The Three Stooges. More recently, Jackass and The Dudesons have become media phenomena portraying this kind of stunts or dangerous scenes where someone is slightly or seriously injured.
Grotesque humor
This comic category had its origin in the Italian word"grotta", which is related to the alteration of what is traditionally aesthetic and proportionate. Consequently, it comes to designate that which is strange, ridiculous, eccentric, fantastic and irrational. It is a mixture of animalization, caricature, horror and also some indifference.
It is intensely related to the arts, such as literature, painting and even sculpture. Caricatures are a clear example of extreme proportions and play with the beauty and ugliness of things or people. Inconsistency is a comic element that is present in various forms of humor, and here is no exception.
The reification with traits of decadence, monstrosity and deformation give rise to a mixture of emotions, where unease, anguish and terrifying converge. In the grotesque there is a familiar and at the same time strange feeling that is full of bewilderment and perplexity, which also incorporates a surreal and illogical character in relation to its appreciation.
Hacker humor
Derived from computer culture, this type of humor arises from those experts who use their own language derived from programming. They are usually elaborate parodies that are related to documents, files, standards, codes, specifications, languages and related elements.
A common way to manifest this kind of humor is through RFCs, which are requests for comments that describe standard Internet protocols. These referencing sources have a formal language that are often jokingly manipulated as witty inner jokes and are understood by hackers or programmers.
Black mood
This humorous manifestation has its origin in the contrast to the romanticism of the twentieth century. It is characterized by irony, sarcasm, satire, skepticism and even is linked to the absurd and the grotesque. It has as its essence pessimism, death and themes that are related to human tragedy, the dramatic of life and the pathetic of being.
It has been cataloged as a perspective that covers dark, painful, controversial and controversial issues for people. This is due in great part to the fact that this type of expression constantly challenges the moral fiber of society, its norms of coexistence, the tendency to be politically correct and the role that must be exercised by the human being.
For this reason, and because it has a wide spectrum of influence, it is used to mock discrimination, politics, religion, war, violence and sexuality. Other sensitive issues that may arise are terrorism, drug addiction, racism, rape, disabilities, and more.
In the movies and television are also abundant exponents such as Charles Chaplin, The Marx Brothers, Stanley Kubrick, Alex Church, Martin McDonagh, Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton. Also known are the series as South Park, American Dad, Family Guy, among others.
Literature, film and television have many references to black humor. Writers such as André Bretón, Samuel Beckett, Roal Dahl, Antón Chekhov, Mark Twain and more are clear examples.
Satirical humor
Satire is a very old discursive resource that uses the power of humor to make criticism and denounce. It tends to be didactic, moralizing and to use ridicule to highlight the defects and vices patent in the human race. Burlesque or playful resources are also common within the various forms of expression, especially the literary.
Within the literature it comprises a great variety of sorts, like the grotesque tragedy, the esperpento, the picaresque novel, the fable and also in graphic publications. It is very common to find satire in posters, movies, television shows that make use of comic situations as an effective way of doing social criticism.
Also known as a comedy of mistakes, it may include such elements as farce, which includes a series of improbable coincidences. At times it presents a sequence of events that happen with a frantic speed and in which they can include situations that divide between the ridiculous and the impossible.
Sarcastic humor
Derived from the word"sarx", whose meaning is flesh, this humorous manifestation makes use of cruelty, mordacity and sadism to obtain the desired effect. It is very closely related to the parody, which has been defined as the transformation from a serious situation to one with a more familiar quality.
Its foundation lies in the devaluation or degradation in relation to the white object or subject of this expression. This deliberate contempt serves as a mockery, which also includes parody and ridicule. It is precisely this contrast of values that generates the humorous effect for those who can appreciate its intentionality.
In this category we also resort to irony, which is associated with an implicit rebellion against the established status quo. Many times what is said has an opposite meaning with respect to the literal meaning. In addition, it uses expressions considered as caustic, resembling a corrosive substance that is harmful.
Dry humor
This comic variant is known in English as Deadpan and is related to the exhibition of what is considered funny without any body language. In essence, the interlocutor does not show emotions, so his message is monotonous, serious, informal and natural at the same time.
It is also characterized by an air of naivety, insincerity and little attention to the facts that surround it. Since it manifests an absolute tranquility and a sense of immutability, it tends to conceal very well the intentionality of who tries to say something funny being indifferent to the context or the situation.
There are several exponents of this genre that is framed within stand-up, television and film. Famous examples are comedians like Bill Murray, Eugenio, Juan Verdaguer, Seth Roguen, Zach Galifianakis, Cacho Garay, Ricardo Quevedo, Felo and many more. Also, characters interpreted by Chevy Chase, Christopher Walken, Leslie Nielse, Peter Sellers, Tommy Lee Jones, among others.
Green humor
Although obscene, vulgar language, and implicit or explicit sexuality may be used as a resource, these characteristics are more typical of this type of humor. Due to its content of vulgar nature, rises of tone and even of bad taste for some, often is confined to audiences more adult and of all the social classes.
The resources for this category are varied, especially in mediums that have more diffusion like the cinema, television, the internet and graphic publications. They have great affinity with the crudity, since it does not need filters to express its message like in other forms of humor a little more elaborated or that require a certain level of codification.
Psychological classification
From another perspective, humor has also been investigated for its psychological nature. The sense of humor can have different facets, which are not identifiable from the beginning in which it comes in contact with a person.
Since it is a very personal characteristic that derives from a multiplicity of factors, each variant can cause diverse impressions in those who experience it. For this reason, experts and scholars have identified 4 main types.
Connective humor
It makes use of what has grace for most people and with which they can identify. Use everyday actions, situations or occurrences that are humorous to create a sense of happiness, well-being and camaraderie.
Aggressive mood
Depending on its denomination, it involves insults or vexations against people. It is typical of comedians who want to abuse each other, threatening or hurting them in a psychological way. It is both funny and uncomfortable for some.
Reaffirming humor
It serves as therapy to overcome any adverse situation in which an individual can be seen immersed. It comes from the ability to laugh at oneself and is a healthy way to deal with stress, finding humor in those everyday situations that affect us.
Self-destructive humor
This kind of expression is given by self-punishment using aggression or through pity. Although considered an unhealthy humorous manifestation, it can also be a form of indirect defense against abusers or bullies.
References
- Absurd humor, white humor, hacker humor, black humor and dry humor (2017). Web: es.wikipedia.org.
- Ronald E. Reggio (2015). The 4 Styles of Humor. Web: psychologytoday.com.
- Silvia Hernández Muñoz (2012). Species of humor. Web: monografica.org.
- Mark Nichol (undated). 20 Types and Forms of Humors. Web: dailywritingtips.com.