This reference encyclopedia contains information on both the historical and contemporary aspects of humor and comedy in the United States. Arranged in an A-to-Z format, the encyclopedia is a collection of article-length essays that examine humor from many perspectives, from defining terms; to providing information on humor writers, comedians, and…

Tongue-in-cheek advice directed to the problems of excessive perspiration and underarm stains. (For the article to which this one responds, see the American School Board Journal, February 1974 pp. 29-31.) (WM)

A study of the development of 6- to 12-year-old children's appreciation of verbal jokes was conducted within the framework of the incongruity and resolution theory of humor. Results revealed age differences indicating that older children appreciated both structural components while younger children appreciated the incongruity structure. (ST)

To the author joy suggests an inner harmony with one's physical and human environment. Pupils, teachers, and principals--all are constantly reaching for that inner harmony. (Author/CB)

Article consists of amusing anecdotes about the diversions and individual problems the teacher is confronted with when trying to teach. (MM)

Presents a taxonomy of formal features of television and examines ways in which these features are used in current productions for children. Coding categories for formal features include action, pace, visual events, and auditory features. Concludes that commercial producers stress formal features as much or more than content. (PD)

Argues that the humorous books that teenagers choose to read are appropriate in relation to their interests, maturity, and experience. (AEA)

Male subjects (N=20) were exposed to a humorous or nonhumorous tape recording and subsequently given the opportunity to give money to a needy person. Results indicated humor subjects contributed significantly more than did nonhumor subjects. Humor subjects also evidenced more positive affective state. (Author)

Argues that round robin reading is valuable because it prepares students for "the real world" by exposing them to boredom, teaching them to look alert when they are not, teaching the skills of oneupmanship, and teaching inference skills (since it often obscures the story line of a work). (FL)

Children approximately three to seven years old were presented with pairs of cartoons and asked to choose the funnier of each pair. Cartoons differed in terms of which of two persons was accidentally victimized by his or her own action or action of the other person (e.g., having paint spilled from a ladder onto one's head). (Author/MP)

Appreciation of cartoon humor was examined among college students categorized on the basis of Bem's Sex Role Inventory. Males preferred sexual humor to absurd humor, while females favored absurd humor. An antifemale bias in humor appreciation was found in masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated males and in masculine and androgynous females.…

Offers tongue-in-cheek rules for being a humorless English teacher. (RL)

An English teacher describes her feelings, experiences, and attitudes about keeping humor in the classroom. (RL)

Notes the unintentional humor so often found in directions. Describes an assignment on writing directions carefully--and the humorous results. (RL)