Why is the jab in the legendary comics interesting, not offensive?

Comedian don rickles, 1975. Don rickles, a famous stand-up comedian, died on April 6th at the age of 90. He has developed a surly character for decades and is famous for his mean tone.

Known as "insulting cartoon", his expression is sharp and no one can escape. Even celebrities and many other comedians will not consider banning them from entering. Before becoming famous, in the 1950s, when superstar Frank Sinatra walked into the room, Ricks was on the stage of a beach club in Miami. Rick shouted to him on the stage, "Frank, make yourself at home. The Los Angeles Times reported that Rex succeeded in turning his sharp insults into jokes, and even got the laughter of Sinatra's notorious irascible population, and began his career spanning more than half a century. But what makes his insults look funny, not just insulting? [The Secret of Smiling: 5 Things Smiling Tell You]

The success of Rex's insulting comedy can be explained by a humorous theory called "benign aggression", which describes a situation in which social norms are overthrown, but according to Brian Marlow, a science comedian, this situation does not threaten "time, so it will be very interesting," Marlow told live science.

"If don rickles insults you, it is against the regulations. But at the same time, there are skills in comedy, "Marlowe added, adding that you know he didn't mean it, he was teasing you-it was well-intentioned. So it's interesting, even though he just called you by your name.

Science supports this. A study published in Psychological Science on June 20 10 shows that researchers found that benign behaviors that violate social norms "often bring laughter and entertainment" and put forward that negative emotions can be accompanied by humor. Ken Yeager, an associate professor of psychiatry at Wechs Medical Center of Ohio State University, told Live Science that this is an act.

The core of insults is under our skin, because they usually point out some obvious things, and they are usually unpleasant because they have a core truth. In the hands of a skilled comedian, insult illuminates our shortcomings in a clever way. Yeager said: "insults may hurt people, but well-designed insults will make us wish we had thought of this joke first."

"It forces you to think," he said, which makes you reassess the situation and yourself.

Yeager added that Rickels's speech was an important part of making his insult work. He made a sarcastic voice when they met, and then laughed at the end. Yeager said that this kind of smile is very important because it lets the audience know that it is ok to laugh.

As a stand-up comedian in front of the audience, Ricks is likely to pay close attention to the social clues in the room, interpret the emotional "temperature" of the crowd, and measure how to perform insulting jokes. Yeager said that in this way, people at the receiving end will respond gracefully. [7 things that make you happy]

And his insults often appear in layers, softening the emotions of the audience and making them more likely to be the targets of insulting jokes-first of all, insulting others.

At a celebrity barbecue in the monks' club in the 1970s, Ricks said, "I have never said so many evening dresses since the Osmond brothers held their annual dance," CBS News reported in an obituary written for the comedian.

"This is a good way to express insult," Jaeger said. At first you thought you were laughing at him and insulting others. A few minutes later, you realize, "Oh, no, he insulted me at the same time."

Generally speaking, comedy is about expectations-setting expectations and then flouting them, Marlowe said. Insults are usually unexpected, because upper-class people usually don't despise complete strangers. Hearing the incredible voice, I stood up in surprise and said loudly that he said, which made us laugh.

"deadpan delivery-this is against the rules, the rude part. But then he smiled and said, "You know I didn't mean to!" Marlowe added:

But not every comedy can make insulting comedy interesting. Ricks may be called a "venom merchant", but in his daily life, there are more subtleties and skills than downright meanness, which probably explains his lasting appeal. Jaeger told Life Science:

"I think it is a very special individual with correct reading ability and correct language ability." Yeager said, I think he may be one in a million.

Original articles on life sciences.