Whether you watch a variety of television shows, read novels, or watch movies, you have probably heard of black comedy. This type of humor makes light of topics that are otherwise taboo or painful. Black comedy taps into your automatic brain response by making serious or painful topics funny. The result? Your moral judgment and mood are influenced. What makes dark humor so popular? Read on to learn how this genre of comedy works. Listed below are a few examples of its most popular forms.
Black humor is a type of comedy that makes light of serious or painful topics
What exactly is black humor? It is a form of comedy that deals with negative aspects of life, usually derived from the unexpected shock of something. This type of comedy deals with topics that are considered taboo or painful in some other way but is still hilarious. Black humor was popular in Soviet Russia, and is an especially prevalent form of political humor. Here are some examples of black humor:
One of the most famous examples of black humor is Dr. Strangelove, a satire of the Cold War. While the film was based on a serious book, its ending suggested that men live underground with sexually stimulating women. The movie is widely considered a classic example of black humor. In addition to its comedy value, black humor is a subgenre of comedy.
Another example of black comedy is the film Parasite, which tells the story of a lower-class family in South Korea. The father works as a taxi driver, and the mother does everything she can to support them. While one child has the opportunity to attend Harvard University, the family must suffer the mistreatment of their landlords. In addition to dark humor, black comedy is a genre that has many other subgenres, including white humor.
People who are emotionally ill often use this type of humor. Many comedians, particularly those who have suffered trauma, use gallows humor to help them deal with the intense feelings and anxiety that come along with stressful experiences. Some forms of dark humor can cross the line, and they should never be used around sensitive people recovering from a personal crisis. These are just a few examples of the different types of black humor.
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding this form of comedy, especially when it comes to social issues. Some comedians are at the forefront of the culture wars, and some of them have criticized the politically correctness movement and speech codes. This isn’t always the case, but it does not mean that all comedians are bad. So, how is black humor different from other forms of humor?
It taps into your brain’s manual response
A common joke relies on dark humor to get you thinking. This type of humor taps into your brain’s manual response, which is responsible for analyzing new bits of information and determining whether they are worth pursuing. This type of joke makes you think a little deeper, but it can be effective for eliciting strong emotional reactions from viewers. To make your brain laugh at a dark joke, try rereading a classic joke and analyzing it for the underlying meaning.
There are two main kinds of humour, bright humour and dark humour. Both types of humour tap into different areas of your brain, and the responses you experience depend on whether the stimulus is enjoyable or not. Studies have shown that the EEG changes indicate the functional coupling between your prefrontal and posterior association cortex. If the prefrontal-posterior coupling is loose, your prefrontal cortex is not in full control of incoming perceptual information. As a result, the gate to perception is opened, and the brain isn’t as efficient as it should be.
It affects moral judgment
This study investigated how dark humor affects moral judgment. Two previous studies examined this issue, Valdesolo & DeSteno (2006) and Strohminger et al. (2011). These studies found that transgressive humor affects moral judgment and leads people to think that a utilitarian response is acceptable in a sacrificial dilemma. The authors concluded that these findings have important implications for our understanding of morality.
Moreover, the juxtaposition of farcical and morbid elements elicits two different perceptions of the same situation: a moral violation perception and a benign interpretation. Interestingly, dark humor can help us cope with stressful situations. It signals that a violation of a moral rule is OK, and even favors a utilitarian response. While this is a controversial idea, it does point to a potential link between humor and moral judgment.
Despite the wide range of dark humor, no one knows how to fully determine its effects on moral judgment. Nevertheless, there are numerous cognitive and personality correlates. People with psychopathic tendencies are generally wittier than nonpsychopathic individuals. Individuals who appreciate dark humor have lower inhibitory systems and higher levels of intelligence. These differences make it difficult to categorize dark humor as an individual trait, though it may be an indicator of a particular personality trait.
