This articles shows how semiotic theory helps us understand how this joke--and all jokes--work.

What is it about?

This article applies semiotic analysis to understand a joke. It uses 45 techniques of humor which the author argues, are found in all jokes (and all humor) to show what mechanisms are at work in generating humor in the joke. A joke is defined as a short narrative, with a punch line, that generates mirthful laughter.

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Why is it important?

This articles use the 45 techniques of humor, discussed in my books such as An Anatomy of Humor and The Art of Comedy writing, to make sense of a joke. My focus on the techniques of humor differs from that of many humor scholars who focus on whether a joke works because it uses incongruity, aggression, or feelings of superiority to work. These theories don't deal with the mechanisms at play in humorous texts.