What makes things funny | Peter McGraw | TEDxBoulder

Pete McGraw is a leading researcher at the Humor Research Lab at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In this talk he not only discusses what is funny, but what makes something funny as well.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
Follow TED on Twitter at TEDTalks, or on Facebook at TED.

[@Fearofthemonster]

this is the best explanation of humour I've seen so far. mild violations are funnier when it is closer because mild violations happen to someone we don't know, all the time; therefore they stop being violations and become the norm. Someone out there is mis-stepping and falling, all the time but it doesn't happen around us all the time.

[@chloewinnaa1515]

Wonder what he'd do if nobody laughed in the beginning 😂 took the risk for a high reward, I respect that

[@jacobshirley3457]

He'd hold the pause longer, because somebody will laugh at the uncomfortably long pause. Then, everybody will join in.

[@sadgladbadman]

@@jacobshirley3457 Or even just keeps staring at him in silence and thinks, 'tf is wrong with this guy? this isn't a mild violation, i'm not open minded at all."

[@pickleboi5548]

falling down stairs, not hurt: no laughter falling down stairs, hurt: laughter unless it happens to another person: EXTREME LAUGHTER

[@soslothful]

The way I heard it is- When you fall down the stairs its comedy. When I fall down the stairs its tragedy.

[@DrJones20]

That's sadistic.

[@Im-not-alone-Im-full-of-myself]

Oh my! It is true that some people find it funny when someone falls into a staircase and gets hurt haha... But it is more due to the shock and surprise at something that happens completely unexpected like that. Laughter is just a way to express shock, something that is very normal in people, and not because we are laughing at the other person, we are only laughing because it happened in an unexpected way. This type of laughter is only a way of expression of a surprise, not of the pain that the other person feels.

[@austintrauth5820]

I watched this whole video without knowing what benign meant

[@D4rkLigHtLP]

You my Sir are a man of culture!

[@hemendrasahu7943]

your comment is a fine example of a benign violation. It's funny haha

[@libertys5635]

i checked the replies to this to see if someone told you what it meant to hide that I didn't know what it meant either

[@ayritebk8603]

Benign means not harmful/kind/gentle The thing I think we should learn from this talk is that there's limits to humor it may hurt people's feelings and we should respect these limits.

[@jfish032]

🤦‍♂️

[@l75rd83]

if you can deliver a joke without laughing or smiling, boom

[@JeffWarren47]

I tried this out at my first open mic.Any feedback is appreciated!!

[@NightSpid]

But sometimes the persons laugh telling the joke can make u laugh too

[@santiagoflores5126]

Actually laughing is more funny beacuse you share a feeling with the audience making them feel more secure by making that you create a safe space for the humor and laughter to flow.

[@DaBeezKneez]

I’m really good at this, which I hate cus people think I’m being serious 🙄🙄

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

It depends on the joke or gag. If it's the kind of thing that laughter would distract from the punchline, you should deliver it dead-pan. If it's too easy to assume you're being serious, you should at least present a timely grin... "the gotcha face"... to let your audience know it's not serious, and they will laugh. Some gags are entirely based on the context of delivery, so it really matters that you deliver an "over the top" sentiment with a deathly serious tone and expression... Others are just funny enough on their own merits that it doesn't matter how they're delivered. ;o)

[@Elemblue2]

This explains why I laugh when terrible things happen to me. My coping strategy is to look at myself from a distance. I have confused alot of people...

[@perpetualbeneath]

takeaways: -humor helps cope with pain, stress, adversity -it`s funny only when 3 conditions are met simultaniously: situation of benign, situation of violation and their intersection -Violation means put things out of norm -benign means be psychologicaly distant -pay attention to your audince -additional strategy - highlight what is wrong with normal everyday situations -example of algorith: start with violation, then benign (create a distance), provide an alternative interpretation

[@deadbabyseal3356]

benign means harmless, psychological distance is its own takeaway

[@guythellian4805]

I’ve learned why some things are funny. I can use this. Friends and family appreciate his talk!!

[@Nicolas_Arencibia]

I really enjoyed the circular structure that this lecture had, starting by asking the audience to tickle themselves, and at the end, picking up the same topic but this time with sense after the whole explanation about humour. I didn´t realise before about what separate humour and being annoying or even cross the line, but after hearing about the bening violation I grasped it. Just to conclude, a very interesting and well explained speech.

[@RightySnipeZ]

When nobody laughs at your joke so you violate them with your fart unexpectedly. I have achieved comedy.

[@matiasgersberg939]

You’re sus

[@felipe6522]

6:16 also when nobody realized he said AMOGUS

[@harishskumar4491]

You made an achievement: oh thats funny..lol

[@technobladefan8565]

"When nobody laughs at your joke so you violate them."

[@rjStripes]

This will certainly makes me more considerate of others while cracking jokes . Thank you so much

[@KlaasVictor]

Excellent explanation of humor! Thank you 😄

[@TheSearchers1000]

Excellent explanation of what makes things funny. Wow. Good topic and good examples. The speaker is very deliberate and keeps it ...well....funny !!

[@42opendoors]

This is EXCELLENT. A couple of months ago that gal Nicole Arbour got a ton of attention for her "Dear Fat People" rant, which most people did not find funny. But also, very few people did a good job of being able to EXPLAIN to her why it wasn't. Hope the people at The Humor Research Lab (Really? Can I work there?!) sent her a link. This also gets at the heart of how different things for different people qualify as "benign". I love hidden camera jokes, but a good friend of mine can't stand them, as she internalizes that discomfort of personal boundaries being crossed as not being "benign". Love it! Great info!!!

[@AustinChambers302977]

That's a great example. I also don't care for hidden camera jokes, and you described exactly why.

[@laylover7621]

This is actually a fantastic video. Thanks Peter!

[@real_fitness1209]

Some Ted speakers just speak about their research and don't actually provide the main core information. You gave out gold to everyone for free. Thanks a lot 🎉

[@purronnaspaw]

So good...thank you! Needling more laughter in my life.

[@PsychBytes]

We love Peter McGraw and his Benign Violation Theory! A simple way to remember this theory is "if laughing at this is wrong, why does it feel so right?"

[@DrJones20]

Maybe you're immoral?

[@SelfimprovementDiscipline]

No, it’s funny because it seems harmless at the same time. To us or in general

[@27scole]

Humour research lab omg and I struggle finding a job

[@fourthmusketeer2745]

You’re British aren’t you.

[@lolislayer69_]

@@fourthmusketeer2745 lol

[@rosewood9874]

I love this! Life is complex and ridiculous all at once. It's good to take a step back and see what's funny about it.

[@berenikesdare]

Stellar stuff !!! Real dimension with feeling how pedagogic this was.

[@brunobanane8068]

thank you for this upload! :) i learned much about it.

[@user-wv2kn2lz5s]

Great. Presentation! You learn me something! Many. Thanks!🎈🎈

[@JadeDragonRaze]

Probably the best explanation I have heard

[@whatdidijustwatch1555]

This is clearly one of the greatest TEDx Talks, but then most of the people who wanted to watch it and invariably commented are sad people

[@yesreneau]

You can tickle yourself if you're ticklish enough. Trust me, I know.

[@vchicago2851]

YesReneau .

[@americanguy8431]

ohuuu verified

[@lxiaoqi6275]

I can tickle myself so I don't know what are they saying

[@gregoryscott3858]

100% true for me as well.

[@orianalopez2855]

Ikr, I couldn't wash my feet because I was so ticklish that it was a torture

[@Im-not-alone-Im-full-of-myself]

There are many things that make things funny. It could for example be when someone says something that was unexpected or something we didn't expect at all happens. It could be due to a situation (or someone's actions) that can be funny because of its absurdity, or because of a misunderstanding. It could be humor that comes from something that is related to yourself, or that you can relate to (maybe because you've experienced something similar).

[@rubanfrancis5927]

One of best video that I have seen about theory of humar ❤❤

[@marytyr3494]

"How do you make this a malign violation?" Laughed so hard.

[@AhmadAwais]

Marytyr coz it was benign to listen and not to actually see someone wear.

[@AhmadAwais]

Best TEDx talk ever.

[@gensuave1]

Funny and informative. I think TED is making headway.

[@drfunk444]

Benign retaliation is just one of 13 tools in the Comedy writers belt. This was very well presented

[@CalmNoises]

Well? Don't be a tool and tell us!

[@johnnyknox7400]

This is my favorite video, more like it over here!

[@SpongeLorry]

Don't you hate it when a sentence doesn't end the way you refrigerator?

[@annaneedham9771]

Yeah. It sucks.

[@rico6546]

Hahahaha 😂

[@pork43]

this comment is 1 year old and i find it hilarious

[@gideonpalmer8809]

@@pork43 really? It left me cold

[@pork43]

@@gideonpalmer8809 pun

[@drushasubhash1807]

Amazing. Very close to the truth. Bravo. Keep researching mr mcgraw..

[@WedlerFineArt]

Fascinating. As I rewrite my comedy lines I will work towards benign-violation while keeping in mind my audience, the situation and "distance" and see if that generates more laughs.

[@florianinside5666]

Hi Edward, did it work?

[@michellete8545]

Edward Wedler worth a shot, let us know if you succeed or not

[@pprehn5268]

Best unifying explanation I've heard so far.

[@julianwarmington1267]

Yeah, it is pretty good. - I'm not any funnier now though than I was 15 minutes ago, and dog-gone-it i want my money back!

[@demianhaki7598]

Awesome, though so much more detail to get into. Great research subject!

[@hapiearning5222]

i need this FAST!

[@MAHAraaj1]

Excellent talk!

[@tcveatch]

Peter McGraw, you rock!

[@tonycarton8054]

irish humour is very accurate , of Oscar Wilde they said "being Irish he had a great sense of tragedy ,that sustained him through his temporary moments of joy"

[@Poppop-xl1jl]

If you're dissecting something it's already dead. If something dies in the process, that's vivisection.

[@jtsupersized]

Pop2323pop Unless its your friend. Then its comedy.

[@vincentmack37]

I think you just vivisected that joke

[@adkadatka244]

Pop2323pop hmm, very interesting

[@essennagerry]

+vincentmack37 Hahaha...

[@davinkim7930]

Youre a nerd if you laughed

[@desitunda]

Most humorous thing ever “people you date and mate”

[@syedsuhail4736]

Watched it 5th time, one of the best talk

[@SAM-dm5qg]

Thank You For Sharing ❤

[@QV1117]

the only ted talk assignment for english i enjoyed

[@cheunky]

Lovely talk. Very benign😊

[@charlesdumblewski9547]

Very true humor really helps everybody truly smile and get through a tough day and when you ask someone how are you it becomes sincere 5 star information . And i am going to order larg pens to hand out that say my pen is Huge with my business logo! To give out :)

[@jeandatnikka12]

This Is the best talk ever

[@lauradesommar434]

great talk!

[@holydeadknight]

7:22 - channelling Sheldon Cooper...heheh!

[@alllifematters]

Aww, he is adorable :)

[@ConceptHut]

This was fantastic.

[@ticomlabs]

Bravo, encore encore

[@RH-zk8je]

Would you plot things on a number line, with negative numbers indicating level of violation, positive numbers indicating benign-ness, and zero as the sweet spot where they overlap? Or would it be more like a two-dimensional graph, with X and Y as the two qualities? In other words, are the two qualities opposite (line) or complementary (graph)? If the answer is that they are complementary: Does the intensity of the two qualities affect the humor, or does it only matter that they balance? In other words, if something is both intensely violating and intensely benign, is it funnier than something mildly violating and mildly benign? Can something be very benign and very violating at the same time, or does that balance out to neutrality? Can anything be neither benign nor violating? Also, does humor arise from the duality of something being both benign and violating, or, instead, from the uncertainty about which category it fits into? When a joke has both qualities, does the listener assess it first one way, then the other, oscillating between the two, or is it more of an instant comprehension that both qualities are present?

[@m0000ry]

SO SMART, SO SIMPLE

[@pork43]

this video is over 8 years old and i find it pretty interesting

[@alien2324]

This was like a math lesson , I was left more confused

[@DrAdnan]

Hopefully I can up my humor using this technique

[@46Bax]

Hopefully you can cause this comment wasn't funny at all

[@AliKhan-nq7hp]

The moment he said start tickling, i was done with the video 😂

[@SaifAlikhan-wy1zs]

We both have the same name bro.

[@theomegaconcern9564]

There's 12 comedy structures and 7 laughter triggers

[@phongphong4640]

This Boulder guy is very gifted at Not Funny. I hope he is an exception among the rest of Boulder guys.

[@Whitegoogle]

at the end i was expecting: "now please stand up"

[@Melissa0774]

This is a pretty good explanation about what makes things funny. But what I'd really like to know is, why funny things make us laugh and how that reaction works in the brain. I wonder if they study that with fMRI.

[@michaeljackson5471]

Do you know the answer yet?

[@shcxatter2]

There's a vsauce video on the subject. Basically humour destroys a prediction on the outcome of something in our minds, and the change of context from this unexpected realization, is releasing quickly the electrical energy in those neural pathways, and the quickest way to do that, Is to dissipate the energy through the motor cortex which in turn, makes you move your muscles in a certain way.

[@danorion369]

I had thus question in my meditation and got to think it thru. This is a great answer to the question albeit on the surface level because it more so defined whta humor is in our modern day culture, not necessarily the case for all humans in general. The answer is in the frequencies incase anyone's interested in knowing but it'll hurt a lil to get to the answer because it'll require ya to think a lil. Awesome video nonetheless.

[@user-fs5fc1vv7y]

This theory is basically the Push Pull tactic in practice

[@sambarger3339]

he said over a long period of time. as a child, depressed people laughed and had fun, but over time they lost it.

[@backatitagainwiththewhitev3111]

WOW!

[@TheRynegade]

I will take what I've learned into the world! *starts tickling strangers* *several pending lawsuits*

[@EliasMerz]

thats why i laughed so hard last friday

[@gustavodurocher]

this is the greatest humour theory ever. simple and accurate for most cases. there is one thing i think is still unexplained: - why it can be funny (mainly for kids) just to identify themselves with one another. Like, "i like ice cream", "me too!". there's no violation. Also, this pattern can be seem at people laughing at things like "i fear travelling by airplane... i hate people that don't". i call this "identification humour". i've splitted recently some stuff in "expectation break" (something better explained by him as violation) and identification.

[@deniskrivchenkov9042]

because it is very benign when there are people around like you. We do like people like us

[@gustavodurocher]

this could be a premise, but not the final reason. We only laugh at ANY joke if we identify ourselves with the person/joke. otherwise, the violation would be always perceived as malign. it can be very benign, as you said, but as peter says on the video, only benign is not funny...

[@gustavodurocher]

point is that, sometimes, there are some incongruences (violations) that are so small we can't even notice as an incongruence... i think that quoting a reference from one thing in another is so unexpected... it can be a violation in itself.

[@garyhundsrucker7771]

Gustavo Du Rocher I boiled it down to things being : Wrong,negative or ambiguous or amy combination of the three.

[@edgardocerda4045]

I think it's because we think we are alone and unique, but the realization that we are not that alone and not that unique is a benign violation of our previous beliefs. It's benign because it allow us to connect with others, and isn't a threat to our selves . In kids i think it's more clear, as kids are just learning and realizing that they're not the center of the world, and that there are others who are just like them. For adults, i think the same identification can be found with things we think are our personal kinks or things you simply don't know that happens to others too. It's the breaking of the isolation we believe we are (in certain aspects, i don't mean complete lonelyness) what makes the benign violation. That's why not everything with which we can identify is funny. It's only with those things you share with others, but you don't really know you do.

[@phyllishofberg2507]

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die." --Mell Brooks....A malign violation, and funnier because of it.

[@DrJones20]

Sure if you're a sadist. Are you?

[@Toastmaster_5000]

that last statement is true but so is the fact that you can only take offense to something, even if something is intended to insult you directly

[@mikenixo2500]

I'm just trying to get on to participate. If I'm not careful I could learn something. Someone please reply so I'll know if I'm here. Thanks.

[@Spookspek]

6:31 Tbh, this made it funnier in a surreal way.

[@mylasolorio]

Not the guy in the beginning starting to stand up, and upon seeing no one else stood up, sat back down. 💀

[@hanselfinn8946]

so every humor have a root to somekind of violation. thankyou

[@elkerobi8737]

What started out as a hobby, worked out to be something that brought lasting changes to my life. As a single mom I didn't have a lot to do when I wasn't cooking, cleaning the house or taking my son to school. I stumbled across binary options when I was looking for something to do that would give me extra money. I suffered losses due to scammers pretending to be legit brokers. I was about to quit when I stumbled upon a post from someone about Mr Jason McQueen, I had mixed feelings about it but still I decided to give him a try. He helped me resolve all my problems within an interval of 10 days. here's his Instagram page if there is anyone here with any problem write him up (@Jason_real.fx) OR WhatsApp: [phone]

[@DrJones20]

I don't like that notion.

[@alianna8806]

The opening statement let me know this video was made BC (before covid) 😆

[@angelicwarrior118]

I can't believe I'm watching this video on its tenth anniversary.

[@elkerobi8737]

What started out as a hobby, worked out to be something that brought lasting changes to my life. As a single mom I didn't have a lot to do when I wasn't cooking, cleaning the house or taking my son to school. I stumbled across binary options when I was looking for something to do that would give me extra money. I suffered losses due to scammers pretending to be legit brokers. I was about to quit when I stumbled upon a post from someone about Mr Jason McQueen, I had mixed feelings about it but still I decided to give him a try. He helped me resolve all my problems within an interval of 10 days. here's his Instagram page if there is anyone here with any problem write him up (@Jason_real.fx) OR WhatsApp: [phone]

[@mickeymuse2]

I just gave a 3 hour lecture on comedy. I could've just showed them this video. 😆

[@ThePillowGrabber]

It's still tickling yourself. But I get your point and it's true, too.

[@zaveeramini9712]

Finally someone cracked the secret of what make something funny

[@scottashe984]

A not funny person should not lecture on comedy.

[@phil6217]

6:33 somehow the missing of the hammer made this actually really funny

[@phil6217]

6:40 and this is even better

[@Tubingonline1]

Someone really managed to dissect and analyse "humour" and what's more, it was funny as well! So the frog was not killed. Certainly benign!

[@swine13]

Youd hope it was. I dont trust any comedy advice that comes from someone who doesn't make me laugh. I mean it's self evident right there, isn't it?

[@Tm0g762]

@joshsarles Me too! I hate it when people say its impossible!

[@ThePillowGrabber]

Me too - on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet.

[@TheMillenniumMind]

Kool !

[@DenkyManner]

What about the element of surprise? Of the benign violation also making a new unexpected kind of sense?

[@lolisaulugova3276]

Bravo

[@JxSTICK]

HI I LIKE CATS, thank you for listening to my TED talk

[@youliveonce3242]

he's awsm....!!!

[@gobi2792]

Me tells a joke People:-laughs Me:-tells the reason why we laugh People:-laughs

[@danaputera7197]

One thing is certain, it's hard and takes a genius to be able to explain humor humorously.

[@K0h4ku42]

[@yoursubconscious]

i love tickling my sugar glider to see her bark and shake with joy!

[@kaoutermouslimhaliba7145]

Sheldon cooper had his own theory to tell jokes and be humorous, he would love this vid

[@swine13]

Sheldon Cooper isn't a real person, though

[@kaoutermouslimhaliba7145]

@@swine13 he was inspired out of a real one. That was not my point though.

[@jorsc5158]

he totally paid people to laugh that hard in the audience, smart guy

[@jorsc5158]

+Jordan Scruggs (jordan scruggs) HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

[@noahway13]

+Jor Sc (jordan scruggs) Just because you didn't get the jokes, it does not mean he had to pay people to laugh.

[@fuckthismusic]

+JustKeith His jokes are awesome,and it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm rich

[@mollyprice3568]

No he didn't. Go look-up TED cult.

[@biglloyd5870]

Jor Sc I was dying the whole time and I'm broke. And u can't b the funniest urself since ur here

[@gregdeancomedy]

Nice.

[@TheAngryCanary]

why use the word violation? just say pattern mismatch. You can create a pattern mismatch through exaggerating something or minimizing it. Draw a human face. Give it a huge nose. Funny. Give it a small little chin. Funny. Its just a simple benign pattern mismatch. I reason that humans get pleasure out of pattern mismatches because we learn through identifying similarities and differences in patterns. So it would make sense for us to enjoy finding pattern mismatches and sharing these with friends. When its not so benign, the pattern mismatch still evokes curiosity and the need to discuss it.

[@shadow_of_thoth]

Because not everything is just a pattern mismatch. A violation can be a violation of your comfort zone, but still have a pattern. Like, if some creepy old man is licking his lips and breathing down your neck, then that's a violation. But if that creepy old man predictably opens his trench coat to flash you, and he's fully dressed with a flashlight, then it's benign. It ended the way you would expect, but it seemed like a violation at first. It would not have been funny had he actually been naked under there. Pattern mismatch would imply that something completely out of the ordinary should happen, which isn't what humor is a lot of the time. A lot of people also find dark humor funny. That's stuff that might simply be straight up violation to one group of people, but benign to another. Like racist jokes, rape jokes, or dead baby jokes. Not everyone finds those funny, but some people do. What is simple pattern mismatch to some people, is straight up violation to others. Violation covers everything under the same umbrella, so that the theory works just as well for any joke.

[@TheAngryCanary]

I was just hopped up on coffee that day. Don't know why I even left that comment. Violation is fine. lol

[@Keaze]

No Name Plenty of dark humor actually also relies on pattern mismatch. You're used to bad things being treated in a bad light so when they're not, it can be funny.

[@YouShouldRepeatThat]

Even if you were on a caffeine high while writing the comment, I think you were on to something. I watched a Vsauce video before this one discussing why things are funny and he mentioned how there is a theory that things are funny because they involve unexpected occurrences, just as a pattern mismatch is by nature an unexpected occurrence. With you describing the violation instead as a pattern mismatch, you unintentionally meshed the two theories together and provided an improved theory as to why things are funny. Also, side thought: could the guy's use of the word "violation" also be interpreted as a "violation of the expected"?

[@TheHadMatters]

+YouShouldRepeatThat 'could the guy's use of the word "violation" also be interpreted as a "violation of the expected"?' Yup, that is what it means. He very explicitly states that at 11:17, and it would not make any sense, if the term was limited to something like 'everything that causes someone else suffering.' Even with situations of physical violence, what is laughed about is that the person objected themselves to enduring pain, or that someone else did it, when both of these are things those people have been taught not to do, and we therefore do not want them to do. It is not the fact that pain is being endured that makes us laugh.