Define Benign Violation Theory
Mcgraw says one of the tenets of comedy is the benign violation.
Define benign violation theory. The benign violation theory posits that for something to be funny three conditions must be met first there must be a violation of the norm. The bvt integrates seemingly disparate theories of humor to predict that humor occurs when three conditions are satisfied. Though it has prescriptive value benign violation fails as a descriptive theory because it is very often a theory about the offense of humor rather than humor itself.
Mcgraw is pretty strict in his belief that anything funny must be both a violation and benign but there s very little in ferrell and mckay s show that passes that latter test. There is however one sense in which benign violation. The theory builds on work by a linguist tom veatch and integrates existing humor theories to propose that humor occurs when and only when three conditions are satisfied.
The benign violation theory bvt is developed by researchers a. The benign violation theory suggests that primates often laugh when play fighting and tickling because both are mock attacks laughter signals a threatening situation is okay. He even wrote a book about it in 2014 the humor code.
Peter mcgraw phd psychology professor at the university of colorado boulder has made a career trying to crack the code of what makes something funny. The benign violation theory offers a plausible explanation for why seeming diverse stimuli including puns sarcasm jokes tickling and slapstick all similarly elicit humor. The benign violation theory builds on work by tom veatch and integrates existing humor theories to propose that humor occurs when and only when three conditions are satisfied.
1 a situation is violation 2 the situation is benign and 3 both perceptions occur simultaneously. 1 something threatens one s sense of how the world ought to be 2 the threatening situation seems benign and 3 a person. Last both these perceptions must occur simultaneously.
A more recent publication based on the. The entire show tests the limits of the benign violation theory of comedy. Peter mcgraw and caleb warren.