There are five different theories that categorize the different reasons for finding things humorous. The relief theory states that the cause of laughter is the release of tension caused by fears that cause laughter. Superiority theory states that a feeling of superiority makes people laugh at the misfortune and faults of themselves or others. Incongruity theory suggests that “..it is the perception of something incongruous – something that violates our mental schemas and expectations.” Benign violation theory states that humor can arise as a result of violations when three factors are present: one moral norm suggests something is wrong but another norm suggests it is acceptable, the violation is not no such offense to the norm, or the violation is psychologically removed from what should normally occur. Mechanical theory can be defined as physical humor resulting from rigidity or inelasticity. These theories should not be considered the only reason why something can be humorous, as comedy is subjective, but they require a psychological approach to explain why they can be considered humorous in the broad sense. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get an original essayIn a short excerpt from the television special I, Martin Short, Comes Home (a sequel of sorts to I, Martin Short Goes to Hollywood), Martin Short walks down memory lane visiting his old Hamilton neighborhood. He stops to see an old woman in a rocking chair, scowling from her porch, and remembers her as his old schoolteacher, Mrs. DuBois. When saying "Hey, Mrs. DuBois", the passage becomes a reference to Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" and almost quotes the book to the best of its ability. They even bring in Atticus Finch (played by Joe Flaherty) and tell Martin to address Mrs. DuBois with more respect. As he completes the old woman, he is suddenly shot in the chest. Ms. DuBois holds a shotgun and continues shooting. A crew member is seen running away in the background, and soon Martin and the rest of the crew (cameramen, etc.) are fleeing an injured Atticus Finch and a deranged old woman. It's a very weird experience and nothing really funny. However, when it comes to the video clip shared in class, some theory is certainly used to translate the humor of the video. I think the incongruity theory is mainly at play in the clip. Expectations are definitely subverted. In many different stages of the video, something you wouldn't expect due to the calm tone and supposedly casual feel of the environment and situation at the beginning ends up happening and in a surprisingly gruesome way. Martin Short's casual stroll through his childhood neighborhood turns strange when it turns into a parody of Harper Lee's classic novel. There's a shift into abnormality when we go from "real life" to "To Kill A Mockingbird" that I guarantee no one expected, regardless of the title of the video. It quickly gets weirder and weirder with bits such as: Atticus Finch arriving as if it were the Great Depression in Alabama and Finch, a stern and reserved man, punching Short in the groin. But of course the biggest violation of our expectations is when Atticus is shot in the chest and we see Mrs. DuBois holding and reloading a shotgun with a perturbed look on her face. No one expects an old lady to shoot a gun aggressively.4