Keywords
light bulb jokes
ethnic humor
How to Cite
Abstract
Research was conducted using a series of light bulb jokes (Forabosco, 1994). The original target of the jokes were the Poles, retargeted into “carabinieri” in Italy. A question is advanced: why carabinieri? An enlightening answer comes from comparative sociology.
References
Attardo, S. & Raskin, V. (1991). ‘Script theory revis(it)ed: Joke similarity and joke
representation model’, Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 4 (3-4), pp. 293–347.
Davies, C. (1990). Ethnic Humor Around the World. A Comparative Analysis. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Forabosco, G. (1994). ‘“Seriality” and joke appreciation’, Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 7 (4), pp. 351–375.
Suls, J. M. (1972). ‘A two-stage model for the appreciation of jokes and cartoons: an information-processing analysis’, in J.H. Goldstein and P.E. McGhee (eds.), The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues, Academic Press, New York, 1972, pp. 81-100.