"Theories of Humor"

One of the best pieces of comedy that I have recently viewed is a YouTube video by Paul Taylor entitled "La Bise," in which Taylor expresses his grievances with the kisses exchanged by the French as a means of greeting one another. I found this sketch quite hilarious on its own, but the reading "Theories of Humor" helped me better understand the reasons behind my amusement; however, Sommers' "Revision Strategies" (though it improved my understanding of what it means to revise), did not increase my comprehension of the humor of my chosen video. I would assert that "La Bise" reinforces the Relief Theory of humor, specifically due to that section's introduction, which states that "since humor often calls conventional social requirements into question, it may be regarded as affording us relief from the restraint of conforming to those requirements" (Monro 353). Exchanging kisses is a common occurrence in France, but can present many uncertainties in regards to who should be kissed, when, where, how, and by whom. This seemingly trivial dispute holds much importance for French citizens, and greatly influences how they interact with others, how they allocate their time, and how they are perceived by those around them. Paul Taylor uses exaggerated demonstrations and quotidian situations, punctuated with crude language for emphasis, in order to expose the awkward inconveniences of the all-too-frequent "bise". This mockery enables the French to laugh at their own undeniably complicated rules of etiquette, and embrace the ridiculousness of one of their most common yet controversial cultural expressions.

View the video here.