**Warning, Disclaimer and Don’t Blame Me Clause…**
This information is a summary of academic research, interviews and surveys. The data, gathered by Dr. Shirley Garrett and June Cline, CSP, was used for a presentation at the National Speakers Association Annual Convention held in San Antonio, Texas. Every effort has been made to maintain the integrity of the authors’ findings. It is possible that a “titch” of fun may have crept into the parenthetical portion of the text. For clarity, actual citations, bibliography and just plain fun conversation, contact June Cline at
“If you aren’t the butt of the joke…someone else is paying.”
*–June Cline, CSP*
“You may think it’s funny. Your spouse may think it’s funny. Your buddy may think it’s funny—but are you willing to bet your career on it?”
*–Dr. Shirley Garrett*
###”Gender-izing” Your Humor for Success
As people become more educated, the difference between the gender of the joke-teller becomes less important. (This theory also works well late night and in bars!)
Men stand to lose more with “borderline” humor than women do. (Women can stand for days without losing anything!)
Men are the “butt” of jokes more often than women. (But women talk about their “butts” more often than men.)
Women can get away with being a “titch” risque. (Men are better off to stay a “titch” “virginibus puerisque” – which is Southern for “pure as the driven snow.”)
Most men prefer to have more women than men whereas most women prefer to have more women than men…in their audience. (Don’t go there!)
Women laugh more than men do – unless more men are around. (There’s nothing funny about that.)
When women tease men…men comply. When men tease women…(women bring charges).
Ritualized embarrassment socializes a person into a culture or a group. (Or, into therapy, whichever comes first.)
More laughter is generated by good-natured & neutered material. (Which sounds painful but is mutually exclusive.)
People are 30 times more likely to laugh in a group than alone. (Because laughing alone can get you put in a home.)
Research shows that there is a small link between humor and schizophrenia. (Some folks resemble this remark.)
Culture can and does affect laughter. (It also affects yogurt.)
A higher self-concept can be linked with a greater sense of humor. (A lower self-concept is often linked with ding dongs, twinkies and a really bad blind date.)
A study of 1200 episodes of laughter found that only one in five was linked to a deliberate effort at humor. The bland and the mundane triggered 4 times more laughs, i.e. “Where’ve you been?”, “You’re doing what?” (You want it when?!!!)