Page 58 - The Language of Humour

THE SHOCK OF THE NEW 45
Anachronism is a type of incongruous mixture of reference to things
which never existed at the same time:

Jesus was also well-known for his miracles, and probably would
have formed a band if Smokey Robinson hadn’t done it. (Jo
Brand)

Activity with text

Comment on the uses of register to create humour in the following
examples.

(A series of five frames depicting Tarzan practising his chat-up line)
Okay… ‘How do you do. My name is Tarzan and I believe you are
known as Jane.’
‘Allow me to introduce myself… I am Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle…
And you?’
‘You must be Jane. I am Tarzan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
(There she is.) ‘Me Tarzan. You Jane.’
(Damn.)
(Gary Larson)
(The Far Side by Gary Larson © Farworks, Inc. Used with
permission. All rights reserved)
(Lawyer proposing to a woman.) I love you, Sharon, and these
documents will advise you of certain rights you have under federal and
state law.
(A cartoon offers this version of a politician’s resignation speech.) I
decisioned the necessifaction of the resignatory action/option due to
the dangerosity of the trendflowing of foreign policy away from our
originatious careful coursing towards consensitivity, purposity,
steadfastnitude, and above all, clarity.
(Jeff MacNelly)
Right, I’m your official guide. Now before I show you round, I’ll
just fill you in on a few details, as we call them. As you can see, we’re
standing in the hall of the Haworth Parsonage, where Hawarth’s
parson, the Reverend Brontë, lived here with his daughters, the famous
Brontë sisters, now alas, no longer with us—but they have left their
novels which I’ve not read, being more of a Dick Francis nut. Now, if
you pass by me into the parlour (mind my vaccination)… This is what
was known in those days as a parlour, somewhat similar to our lounge-
type sitting room in modern terminology. I’m afraid the wallpaper isn’t
the original period to which we’re referring to; it’s actually Laura