Funny stuff

Sadly no is happily funny. Here's the rhetoric class question: why? Not as in why is it funny, but rather, what is the rhetoric of a funny website? Of what is the writer trying to convince the reader, if we accept the rhetorical proposition that all writing is persuasive in some way?

First, a funny site is trying to convince you that the writer is funny. After all, if you're trying to be funny by creating humorous blog postings, than you think you're funny. Why does he or she want us to think he/she is funny?

Maybe because we like funny people. Let's face it, if someone can make you laugh, you like them. Humor feels good. I married my husband because he makes me laugh. So, reason one for funny website: we will like the writer (if we like his humor).

Second, political humor or satirical humor (and there's tons of it on the website) obviously has a message. Usually, it's along the lines of "aren't they stupid," the "they" being the target of the satire. Along with the "aren't they stupid" message is usually an underlying layer of "and don't they take themselves too seriously." When we poke fun at people, especially people in some kind of "position," we are generally making ourselves feel smarter. So, the rhetoric of webhumor also often includes a persuasive political message, along with an emotional appeal of you, reader, are smarter than the people I'm writing about because you're laughing at them. And what does making the reader feel smart do? Oh yeah, makes us like the writer. So back to reason one.

Finally, there's the way a humorous website makes the writer feel. Back to that idea of self-expression. If I could write a blog that continuous posts very funny stuff (and I can't -- I'm not that funny; even my kids tell me my jokes are stupid), I would feel great about myself. For one, because I would be that funny, and I would have a place to vent my funny self, and two, because I'd feel good that I was sending little laugh bombs out into the world via my blog. So maybe the rhetoric of the humorous website is also that I am funny, and I will make you laugh. That will then make me feel good.

Or was my brain so saturated in Rhetorical Theory last semester that I just can't enjoy a good laugh anymore? Damn. Well, you asked for the rhetorical analysis.