Self-deprecation
Self-deprecation is a form of humor in which people or comedians make jokes about themselves, their shortcomings, or their culture, usually without being guided by any underlying self-esteem issues.
The boundaries for this kind of humor are often more relaxed than for other kinds of humor. For example, whereas a Jewish joke told by a non-Jew may be considered anti-semitic and offensive, the same joke told by a Jew may be taken in good humor. The ability to laugh at oneself and the absurdities in one's own culture is often considered a good character trait.
Many comedians use self-deprecating humor to avoid seeming arrogant or pompous, and to help the audience identify with them. A number of comics, including Chris Farley, Conan O'Brien, Phyllis Diller, Jim Norton, Adam Carolla, Jon Stewart, Artie Lange, Rodney Dangerfield, Dave Attell, Woody Allen, David Letterman, Seth Neller, Sean Rouse, Larry David, Jim Gaffigan, Dave Hughes, Brian Regan, The Chaser and, later in his career, George Burns - built their entire acts around their own perceived unattractiveness, weight, age and/or lack of appeal to the opposite sex.
Self-deprecation is key to the comedy style of Dana Jay Bein, a stand-up comedian who also teaches a comedy class with over 10 years of experience. Regarding the concept, he stated:
- "I was introverted as a child, so self-deprecation became my defense mechanism in middle school and high school. . . Self-deprecation is rooted in people making fun of you. The only way to really defeat other people making fun of you is to get on the board and start to make fun of yourself, kind of show them that it doesn't bother you. . . Then, self-deprecation comes to the next level when you find your own voice in that self-deprecation. . . I make fun of myself and not only does it make the audience comfortable of who I am as a performer but it also gives me the green light to make fun of other things as well."[1]
Self-deprecation can also be used to better oneself in social situations.[2]
Self-deprecation also refers to making negative statements regarding one's own appearance or abilities, such as saying "I'm so fat" or "I'm such an idiot", often with the intended result that their friends will tell them that they really aren't. Statements and patterns of behavior such as these may indicate self image or self esteem problems.
See also
References
- ^ Lombana, Andres “The Bastard Son of Comedy” HenryJenkins.org (April 5, 2007). Retrieved on April 3, 2008.
- ^ Social relations in Petalangan society: Person in society
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