Mechanisms and functions of humour in popular

science textsGeorgiy Blinnikov

Moscow State Linguistic Universityblinnikoff@hotmail.com

PHENOMENON OF HUMOUR

Different approachesDebatable question

“When we employ a word like “humor”, one has the illusion of designating something sharper than this kind of complex web of relations among laughter, faulty reasoning, taboos and prohibitions, and unconscious suppressor mechanisms.” (M.Minsky)

WHAT IS HUMOUR

Censors form barriers in the mind that make it difficult to think “forbidden” thoughts. But jokes can elude censors to create unearned release of psychic energy, which is discharged in the form of laughter. Jokes are short in order to fool simple-minded censors. It works well for humourous aggression and sexuality but not for nonsense humour.

FREUD’S THEORY OF JOKES

A gentleman entered a pastry-cook's shop and ordered a cake; but he soon brought it back and asked for a glass of liqueur instead. He drank it and began to leave without having paid. The proprietor detained him. "You've not paid for the liqueur." "But I gave you the cake in exchange for it." "You didn't pay for that either." "But I hadn't eaten it".

from Freud (1905).

EXAMPLE

Perceptions are usually interpreted by the mind in terms of previously acquired description-structures called Frames

Frames represent stereotyped situations Different kinds of info are attached to each

frame Each frame includes a variety of terminals

to which other frames are attached

MINSKY’S FRAME THEORY

CHAIR FRAME

POPULAR SCIENCE TEXTS

Functional Style is a system of interrelated language means

serving a definite aim in communication. It is the

coordination of the language means and stylistic devices

which shapes the distinctive features of each style. Each

style, however, can be recognized by one or more leading

features which are especially conspicuous. For instance the

use of special terminology is a lexical characteristics of the

style of scientific prose, and one by which it can easily be

recognized.

VINOGRADOV’S FUNCTIONAL STYLES

Special methods which make the author closer to the reader: informal, colloquial vocabulary

Emotional vocabulary Inclusion of quotations from other texts into

the current text Set expressions Combination of incompatible linguistic tools

POPULAR SCIENCE TEXT LINGUISTIC FEATURES

As a result we have a genre that can incorporate various text types, often highly contrasting with each other. This leads to intertextuality which creates surprise, humour or ironic effect

DE CRESCENZO AND HIS BOOK

Luciano De CrescenzoThe History of Greek Philosophy. The Pre-Socratics

Ideas of ancient philosophic texts are inserted in the context of the modern culture via interim transformations. Every next transformation gives to the reader a simpler look on the complex metaphysic ideas.

This book is a good example of popular science prose

This approach helps us to understand better such phenomena as humour, surprise effects and generation of new senses.

How De Crescenzo’s book is structured?

‘Io invece, che con la serieta’ ho sempre avuto un rapporto difficile, non ho alcun problema a raccontare tutto quello che ho letto e, soprattutto, le cose che mi hanno piu’ divertito.’

HUMOUR IN ‘PRE-SOCRATICS’

On the text level frames can be embodied in different text subtypes defined by their stylistic and semantic peculiarities

We can pick out three kinds of text subtypes collisions:

1. Cognitive and linguistic 2. Behavioristic 3. Cultural

HUMOUR MECHANISMS

Diciamo pure che ci si accontentava che il tempo fosse buono, almeno il giorno della partenza, e che l'oracolo di Didima avesse dato il suo nulla osta. Stando così le cose, le carte nautiche di Anassi mandro dovettero sembrare ai mercanti dell'epoca il non plus ultra del progresso, tanto più che il filosofo le aveva inzeppate di consigli e di annotazioni sui popoli che si sarebbero incontrati sul cammino.

Honestly speaking a traveler in those times contented himself with good weather and a Dydym oracle’s sanction. Taking it into consideration traders should have considered Anaximander’s maps a non plus ultra of the progress, all the more the philosopher crammed them with tips and notes on peoples that could be met during the voyage.

COGNITIVE AND LINGUISTIC COLLISION

LINGUISTIC AND BEHAVIORISTIC

Per colpa di questa teoria della metempsicosi, Pitagora e’ stato ampiamente sfottuto sia dai contemporanei che dai piu’ illustri drammaturghi: Senofane, in un suo scritto, ce lo mostra nell’atto di trattenere per un braccio un uomo che bastona un cane.

‘Ti prego’, dice Pitagora ‘non picchiare il tuo cane giacche’ in esso, temo si trovi l’anima di un mio amico.’

‘E come fai a dirlo?’ chiese l’uomo.

‘Ne ho riconosciuto la voce.’

This story with transmigration of souls made a lot of Pithagorus’s contemporaries and famous writers mocked at him a lot: Xenophan in one of his works depicts him as stopping a man from clubbing a dog.

“Please, said Pithagorus, don’t kick this dog as in it I’m afraid a soul of my friend lives”

“How do you know?” asked the man.

“I recognized his voice.”

Unfortunately there are no such funny stories about Anaximander as about Thales except one incident in which he is shown as a singer. Once a bunch of boys heard him singing in the choir and started laughing at the way he was singing out of tune. Then Anaximander addressed his friends the following words: “Gentlemen, let’s not lose the rhythm, you see how these dudes are mocking at us”

Su Anassimandro, purtroppo, non ci sono aneddoti divertenti come su Talete, a eccezione di un episodio che lo vede nelle vesti di cantante. Si racconta che un giorno alcuni bambini, avendolo sentito cantare in coro, lo abbia no preso in giro per come stonasse, al che sembra che il filosofo si sia rivolto ai compagni dicendo: «Signori, per cortesia: cerchiamo di andare a tempo, ca si no 'epeccerille ce sfottono».

BEHAVIORISTIC COLLISION

Insomma Anassimandro era convinto che Acqua Aria Terra e Fuoco fossero solo entità limitate e che a comandare su loro ci dovesse essere un Super-elemento, un Mammasantissima invisibile allo stato naturale.

All in all Anaximander was convinced that Water, Air, Earth and Fire were only limited entities and there must have been a super-element to rule them all, a kind of a Godfather, invisible in his natural state.

CULTURAL COLLISION

CULTURAL COLLISION …E’ bene chiarire che la

giustizia sociale per i progressisti del V secolo era cosa alquanto diversa da quella perseguita oggi dai nostri sindacati: una buona giustizia sociale la si otteneva solo quando ciascun lavoratore veniva ricompensato secondo I propri meriti…molti soldi ai piu’ bravi e nemmeno una lira a quelli che non avevano voglia di lavorare.

It’s worth mentioning that social justice for the scientists of the V century was very different from the one propogated by our trade unions: a good justice for them was only when each worker was paid according to his virtues… a lot of money for the best and none for those who don’t want to work at all.

CULTURAL COLLISION I numeri infine, secondo I

pitagorici, posseggono qualita’ terapeutiche: I quadrati magici, ad esempio, venivano incisi su lastrine d’argento e preservavano dalla peste, dal colera e dalle malattie veneree. Ora io propongo, anche se mi rendo conto che non e’ tanto facile, in un aeroporto, esibire un quadrato magico come documento sostitutivo della vaccinazione obbligatoria…

Therefore numbers according to Pithagorus, have therapeutic qualities: magical squares, for instance, cut out in silver plates protected from plague, cholera and venereal diseases. So in spite of being aware that it won’t be easy I suggest that magical squares should be used as substitution of vaccination documents in airports…

“Humor, like games, serves and exploits many different needs and mechanisms”.M.Minsky

HUMOUR FUNCTIONS

Humour functions in Popular Science text

Psychological triad

1. Creating metaphors favouring understanding

Intellect

2. Relaxation of mental tension Affect

3.Increasing motivation Action

1. More profound analysis of humour effects on cognitive processes

2. Study of humour strength and quality in different texts

PROSPECTS

Mechanisms and functions of humour in popular

science textsGeorgiy Blinnikov

Moscow State Linguistic Universityblinnikoff@hotmail.com

Thank you for your attention and comments