>I don't entirely buy his theory of humor (in part because it's been
>obsoleted by changes in society that his theories contributed to
>bring about; in part because it's simply too one-dimensional) but
>Freud thought jokes were entirely a matter of male sexual aggression
>-- expressing the taboo in a distorted form to get it through the
>social censor. On this theory, people who are driven to tell lots
>of jokes have lots of aggression they want to take out on people.
>Sexual jokes are a way of expressing aggression towards women. And
>anger turned inward is depression, which frequently haunts them when
>they aren't succeeding in their outlet.
>
>Again, I'm not endorsing this mechanical (or hydraulic?) theory.
>I'm just saying this idea that humor is primarily male has been
>respectable for at least a century. And one could plausibly replace
>"entirely due" to "in part due," tinker with it a bit, and perhaps
>end up with an idea worth considering.
Well, for what it's worth, my former trainer the aspiring standup basically endorsed this point of view. Male comics aren't comfortable with funny women the same way most men aren't comfortable with aggressive women. And I don't think she'd ever read Freud.
Doug