Why Superiority Is Superior

I continue to find the superiority theory to be the most convincing theory explaining why we laugh in comedy. Even though Lippit and Hutcheson both attempted to disprove the theory, superiority remains to me to be the most logical and consistent.

Hutcheson’s essay made me question the superiority theory the most. His example of the wealthy man seeing the pauper and feeling pity rather than laughing was convincing and made me question superiority. But what Hutcheson does not understand is that humor and laughter is always tentative regardless of the theory. Something can be too sad or too cruel to be laughed at. That is why humor is so special; it is so complicated to get right.

The “McKayla Maroney is not impressed” memes are an example of how sometimes humor is not obviously superior, but if you study people’s reactions, you can see how the superiority theory works well.  McKayla Maroney was a 2012 Olympic gymnast. After setting high expectations on the vault, Maroney only won silver in the finals. During the medal ceremony, the young gymnast had a grumpy smirk on her face that social media would take to the next level. For the next few months, Maroney’s unimpressed was photoshopped into impressive moments of history like the moon landing. She even smirked her way to the White House, taking a picture with President Obama.

Seeing this meme at first, one cannot find something that clearly proves that this supports the superiority theory. No one really gets hurt or fails miserably; she even gets a medal! If you compare Maroney to yourself though, the superiority theory begins to shine through. If we had won second place, we would be thrilled, and we would have been good sports about it and at least smiled. We can all agree that we have better manners and sportsmanship than Maroney. thus making us feel superior to her.

Link to Video: Aidy Bryant Stand Up Routine

I recently watched a stand-up routine by comedian and now SNL cast member, Aidy Bryant. In this routine, Bryant shares with her audience her personal diary from elementary school. She exposes the strange and random thoughts and obsessions of an awkward 9 year old girl trying to make her life look so much more interesting than it really is. Now 26, Bryant adds a few new pages to her diary with a list of "cool stuff" and lots of age appropriate stickers like margaritas and pills.  I found this routine hilarious and appreciated Bryant’s creativity as she relived her rough elementary school years. There are multiple parts of her stand up that all three humor theories could use to support their arguments.

Thomas Hobbes’ superiority theory perfectly explains why most viewers would find this piece of comedy especially funny.  Many audience members may feel a repressed sense of “glory” arising as they laugh at nine-year-old Aidy Bryant’s foolish attempts at being cool. Even the comedian herself may be feeling a sense of superiority over her past self. Viewers may even also laugh at the 26 year old Bryant. Viewers feel superior as she reads off the list of her grown up “Cool Stuff” like an ‘In Unit Washer & Dryer” and “Not Having Diarrhea”.  Many people may find that their lives are even the slightest more interesting and have set higher standards for themselves.

The incongruity theory also can explain why we find this video funny. Many could potentially find this young girl’s dreams, like having a turtle in her room, strange and out of the ordinary. Most would agree that Rosie O’Donnell is not the average third grader’s role model. Because Bryant acts so much like an outlier, people can find that funny and entertaining.

Finally, the relief theory can easily be applied to this comedy routine. Audience members feel a sense of relief as they realize they too were strange children. In society, you are expected to hide those strange, quirky aspects of yourself, and Aidy Bryan happily shows them to hundreds of people. The audience takes a moment to accept these strange characteristics of nine year old Bryant and welcomes all the oddities that had once been repressed in their minds.