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IS PSEUDO-SUPERIORITY FUNNY?

One man's humor is another man's bigotry.

The superiority school of humor includes jokes in which some OTHER group of people are the target of our sarcasm or scorn. Usually, someone is made to look idiotic or inept, unattractive or otherwise uncool.

Redneck jokes, blonde jokes, ethnic jokes, and others all fit into this category.

We've all heard such jokes, and we may be somewhat ashamed to admit that we have probably all told them as well.

Derision and prejudice are hallmarks of superiority humor. With such jokes, we are laughing AT someone, not laughing WITH them.

Here's an example of a superiority joke a woman might tell:

Q: What should you give a man who has everything?
A: A woman to show him how to work it.

Here's a superiority joke that aims at humor by making someone look dumb:

A man spoke frantically into the phone, "My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!"

"Is this her first child?" the doctor asked.

"No, you idiot!" the man shouted. "This is her husband!"

Basically, superiority jokes poke fun, and they poke at someone else to do it.

Learn more about this author, Linda Ann Nickerson.
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