Learning Blog #2

            Learning about humor this semester has completely changed how I look and perceive things that are funny. It makes me think about why I actually find certain things funny. I also find myself thinking about jokes before I say them. Questions like, is this appropriate for the situation? And, is this humor going to be harmful to anyone? The second of the two questions in particular has really tripped me up. My sense of humor is a little different than most. I like to give people a hard time and a lot of times that involves saying something mean in a joking manor (as to diffuse the situation and hopefully allowing the other person to notice I am in play mode). I have found that sometimes people don’t or can’t pick up my play signals and they take me seriously and therefore are, or can be, offended by my comment. Taking this course has really allowed me to realize when certain comments are funny and appropriate and when they aren’t. These comments tend to deal with the superiority theory, when in fact I don’t actually believe I am better, but I say something that hints at it merely to be funny. In theory, I’m trying to get them to be offended at first, but then hopefully they will pick up on my play signals and realize that it is simply a joke. In which case they get that false alarm sense of relief and hopefully laugh because of it. What I have learned form this class has allowed me to understand why others might not find something is funny, even though that it’s my intent.

            Learning about humor has also improved my own jokes and one-liners. Breaking down the theories of humor has actually allowed me to think things through for that extra second to make the witty comment or quip even funnier. Such as waiting until everyone is disengaged before saying something funny. Humor can be considered as disengaging, therefore if the people hearing the humor are already in a disengaged state, the joke will be generally more effective than if the audience is deeply engaged in something else. If this is the case, they may miss what you said or the intricacy of the comment and it is no longer funny. Studies have shown that the human brain can only focus on one major thing at a time, therefore if one is engaged in something other than looking for funny comments, the comment might easily be missed. I’ve also been able to read and realize when people are in this “play mode” or disengaged state. This means that my jokes are generally timed better, therefore usually well received and have a positive effect. As I stated before, sometimes jokes are more effective when people aren’t in the disengaged state, in which case they almost believe what you are saying before realizing that it is a joke. This false alarm causes the “fight or flight” or initial shock of the statement to be released as laughter.

            Before I started taking this class, I was trying to get better at biting my tongue and being more careful in certain situations so people wouldn’t take what I say the wrong way. I was having a really hard time with that, and I still am. However, what I’m learning from this class is allowing me to craft my (or what I think are my) humorous statements. The things I have learned in this class are allowing me to filter myself and actually think over what I’m about to say in an effort to avoid people taking what I’m about to say the wrong way. Sure, I still step on toes occasionally, but that is almost never my intention and this knowledge is at least guiding me in the right direction when it comes to filtering what and when I say things.

Conversation Partner Meeting #1

            My conversation partners name is Osama. Osama is from Saudi Arabia and recently moved to New York and then ended up down here in Texas. He is nineteen and once he finishes the intensive English program at the end of the year he plans on starting his degree in accounting. The reason he wants to be an accountant is because that is what his dad currently does in Saudi Arabia. Osama’s dad will be moving out here shortly because both Osama and his mother live in the DFW area. His mom is studying at the University of Dallas and he visits her frequently. We met up at the rec center and sat in the lobby. We spoke for around an hour and a half before we both realized how long it had been and had to part ways. Finding things to talk about was certainly not an issue, which I was worried about the entire time. I have met some people from the Middle East before and I was nervous that he would be like them. Very arrogant and this sort of Americans are dumb I’m better than you kind of attitude. I was very surprised to learn that he was not like this at all which helped me settle down and enjoy the conversation and his company. One of the first things we discussed were our hometowns. This of course led into a discussion of all the wild stereotypes of both our birthplaces. He said that most people ask him if they live in little huts or tents in the desert and ride camels. Obviously this isn’t true and he informed me that his city is much like Fort Worth with high rises downtown and suburban neighborhoods surrounding the area. Coming to Texas he thought there would be a lot less trees and it would be a desert landscape, much like you’d see in a western movie, and that people would be riding horses. He was also relieved/surprised that it was similar to where he is from. When I told him I was from Colorado I mentioned that everyone thinks it snows year round and that all we do is ski. I also mentioned how that isn’t true and it gets hot in the summer. Maybe not hot by Saudi standards but hot to people that don’t live in the desert of the Middle East.

            Osama and I then started to discuss sports we like or have played. He enjoys playing soccer and basketball and even used to play tennis. He still has no opinion on football and I plan to change that. Then things got a little more on the serious side and we discussed the certain culture and customs of our two nations and some of the stark contrasts. For instance men and women can’t show any affection towards one another in public whatsoever. In restaurants there are separate seating sections for women and their families and single men. The dress is indeed very conservative for women. Some people might take offense to this and say that they are stripping them of their freedom. After discussing with Osama, as well as some previous studies I have done on the Muslim religion, I came to the realization that they are trying to respect the women so they will not be looked upon in a lustful way or put a man and a women in a situation in which she could be disrespected. Sure this seems a little extreme but we just have to take a step back and realize we are two completely different cultures. When he asked me what I thought of Saudi Arabia I brought up sharia law and Islam but told him that I like his country and how they have been a valuable ally to the American’s for many years. When I asked him about his or the Saudi’s thoughts on America, to my surprise he actually said that they like Americans for the most part. I was somewhat taken back by this and told him that I was under the impression that a lot of the world, especially the Muslim countries didn’t care for Americans. After talking about all of this (including Israel and all of the baggage that comes along with that) we both agreed that the media portrays pictures of only a small group of extremists in either country or culture and we really just need to experience the culture for ourselves and meet the actual people that make it up. We also agreed that every one should get along (Christians, Jews and Muslims) because we all come from the same roots but branched off in different directions.