During a covid lock-down, we used Microsoft Teams as collaboration software. However, there wasn’t much collaboration going on, but I kept the program open anyway. Interestingly, I was one of the first posts on the platform with actual work related discussion instead of timewasting chit chat.
Then the drop kicks got involved and it became a gossip platform. So I only posted one more work related comment where I notified one of the members I had uploaded the documents they were discussing.
Then one of the comments was “sarcasm is the lowest form of humour” and I have heard this often misquoted line by people who have absolutely no idea of its meaning – he wasn’t the brightest staff member.
This line by poet, playwright and comedian Oscar Wilde of “sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence” requires further investigation. So, what is humour?
Slapstick: Falling over can be very funny, slamming into a lamp-post or falling into the water is just brilliant. Then there is The Three Stooges, I still never get sick of that.
Self depreciation: Making one’s self the butt of their jokes, self depreciation has been described as inward facing sarcasm not aimed at others.
Sarcasm: In essence, sarcasm uses words to say the opposite of what they actually want to say. This is a scathing insult to belittle a person, show disdain, irritation or just be irritating. Mark Twain was arguably the master of sarcasm.
Wit: A form of intelligent humour with the ability to say or write things that are considered clever.
Improvisation: This is comedy without a plan, the ability to reply with fast comebacks.
Surrealism: Illogical events that are weird and nonsensical situations that are just plain silly – cue Monty Python.
Play on words: The use of words and puns that have a double meaning that could be described as dad jokes.
Observational: The domain of the stand-up comedian, the ability to find humour in mundane activities with Dave Allen and Jerry Seinfield leading practitioners.
Topical: Based on current events, news and pop culture where an unusual spin is put on the situation.
Bodily: We all know toilet humour and fart jokes, as a college lecturer with classes of mostly young men, I have just about had enough of farting.
Dry: Deadpan or dry-wit humour is a deliberate display of emotional neutrality as a means of comedic neutrality. The delivery is blunt, laconic, ironic with subject matter that is not immediately obvious.
Dark: A style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo and described as morbid or gallows humour provoking discomfort or bemusement.
Crass: This form of humour is lacking in refinement or good taste that is smutty, lowbrow and is intellectually inferior.
Observations in an undemocratic world 