Unit III

Lesson 1. Language and Humor in the media: The Hidden Media Humor and Hidden Theory
Objective: Engage and discuss the standard approaches to close reading of metaphor

PREPARATION
Language and humor are two important aspects of human communication and cognition. They
have been studied from various perspectives, such as linguistics, psychology, sociology, and
education. Some of the topics that have been explored are:

Humor in Language
types and functions irony, sarcasm, puns, jokes, etc
cultural and pragmatic aspects how humor is used to express identity, solidarity, po-
liteness, aggression, etc
cognitive and affective aspects how humor is processed, understood, and appreci-
ated by the brain and the emotions.
pedagogical and motivational as- how humor can enhance learning outcomes, reduce
pects anxiety, increase engagement, etc

PRESENTATION
Language and humor in the media is a topic that explores how different types of media use lin-
guistic devices and strategies to create, convey, and interpret humor. Some of the aspects that
have been studied are:
 The genres and formats of media humor, such as cartoons, memes, adverts, sitcoms,
editorials, etc
 The functions and effects of media humor, such as entertainment, persuasion, criticism,
social commentary, etc
 The challenges and opportunities of media humor for language learning, such as com-
prehension, analysis, production, intercultural awareness, etc
The HIDDEN MEDIA HUMOR is a term that refers to the use of humor in media that is not ex-
plicitly marked or intended as humorous, but rather relies on the audience’s ability to detect and
appreciate the subtle or implicit cues that signal humor. Some of the examples of hidden media
humor are:
 Engrish.com, a website that collects pictures of English-language mishaps, often in for-
eign lands, that result from translation errors, spelling mistakes, cultural differences, etc.

Metaphors in Mass Media

  Oddities, a section of AP News that reports on weird and funny news stories from
around the world, such as a fish causing a power outage, a man stealing a car with a
python inside, a woman finding a live frog in her salad, etc.
 Sarcasm, a form of verbal irony that expresses the opposite of what is meant, often to
mock, criticize, or amuse. Sarcasm can be used in media to convey hidden humor, such
as in headlines, captions, quotes, etc. For example, “How nice of you to join us” can be
sarcastic if said to someone who is late.
 Self-deprecation, a form of humor that involves making fun of oneself or one’s own
shortcomings, often to show humility, modesty, or likability. Self-deprecation can be used
in media to create hidden humor, such as in autobiographies, interviews, speeches, etc.
For example, “I’m not very good at public speaking” can be self-deprecating if said by a
famous speaker
 Inside jokes, a form of humor that involves references or allusions to something that is
only known or understood by a specific group of people, often to create a sense of be-
longing, exclusivity, or intimacy. Inside jokes can be used in media to generate hidden
humor, such as in cartoons, sitcoms, podcasts, etc. For example, “That’s what she said”
can be an inside joke if said by fans of The Office.
THE HIDDEN THEORIES IN MASS MEDIA
The hidden theory in the concept of mass media is a term that refers to the idea that mass me-
dia has a hidden agenda or influence on the public, beyond the apparent or explicit content of
the messages. Some of the theories that explore this idea are:
1. The gatekeeping theory, which suggests that mass media selects, filters, and shapes
the information that reaches the public, based on various criteria, such as news values,
organizational policies, ideological biases, etc
2. The agenda-setting theory, which proposes that mass media influences what the pub-
lic thinks about by giving more attention and prominence to certain topics, issues, or
events, and thus creating a perceived importance or salience of those topics.
3. The framing theory, which argues that mass media constructs and presents reality in a
certain way, by using specific words, images, symbols, narratives, etc., and thus affect-
ing how the public interprets and evaluates that reality.
4. The priming theory, which asserts that mass media activates or reinforces certain as-
sociations or memories in the public’s mind, by exposing them to certain stimuli or cues,
and thus influencing their subsequent judgments or behaviors.
5. The cultural criticism theory, which critiques that mass media reproduces and rein-
forces the dominant ideologies and values of society, such as capitalism, consumerism,
patriarchy, racism, etc., and thus marginalizes or oppresses alternative or minority
voices and perspectives

PRACTICE
Here are 10 quiz items on Language and humor in the media. You can choose the correct an-
swer from the options given.
1. What is the term that refers to the use of humor in media that is not explicitly marked or
intended as humorous, but rather relies on the audience’s ability to detect and appreci-
ate the subtle or implicit cues that signal humor?
A) Hidden media humor
B) Media humor genres
C) Media humor functions
D) Media humor challenges

2. What is the name of the website that collects pictures of English-language mishaps, of-
ten in foreign lands, that result from translation errors, spelling mistakes, cultural differ-
ences, etc.?
A) Engrish.com
B) Funny.com
C) Fail.com
D) Lol.com
3. What is the section of AP News that reports on weird and funny news stories from
around the world, such as a fish causing a power outage, a man stealing a car with a
python inside, a woman finding a live frog in her salad, etc.?
A) Oddities
B) Bizarre
C) Weird
D) Strange

4. What is the form of verbal irony that expresses the opposite of what is meant, often to
mock, criticize, or amuse?
A) Sarcasm
B) Hyperbole
C) Metaphor
D) Understatement

5. What is the form of humor that involves making fun of oneself or one’s own shortcom-
ings, often to show humility, modesty, or likability?
 A) Self-deprecation
B) Self-praise
C) Self-awareness
D) Self-confidence

6. What is the form of humor that involves references or allusions to something that is only
known or understood by a specific group of people, often to create a sense of belonging,
exclusivity, or intimacy?
A) Inside jokes
B) Knock-knock jokes
C) Puns
D) Riddles

7. What is the theory that suggests that mass media selects, filters, and shapes the infor-
mation that reaches the public, based on various criteria, such as news values, organi-
zational policies, ideological biases, etc.?
A) Gatekeeping theory
B) Agenda-setting theory
C) Framing theory
D) Priming theory

8. What is the theory that proposes that mass media influences what the public thinks
about by giving more attention and prominence to certain topics, issues, or events, and
thus creating a perceived importance or salience of those topics?
A) Gatekeeping theory
B) Agenda-setting theory
C) Framing theory
D) Priming theory

9. What is the theory that argues that mass media constructs and presents reality in a cer-
tain way, by using specific words, images, symbols, narratives, etc., and thus affecting
how the public interprets and evaluates that reality?
 A) Gatekeeping theory
B) Agenda-setting theory
C) Framing theory
D) Priming theory

10. What is the theory that critiques that mass media reproduces and reinforces the domi-
nant ideologies and values of society, such as capitalism, consumerism, patriarchy,
racism, etc., and thus marginalizes or oppresses alternative or minority voices and per-
spectives?
A) Gatekeeping theory
B) Agenda-setting theory
C) Framing theory
D) Cultural criticism theory

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PRODUCT

Here is a short activity on the hidden media humor and hidden theory. You can do this
activity individually or in pairs.

A. Find an example of hidden media humor from any source, such as a website, a news-
paper, a magazine, a TV show, a movie, etc. Explain what makes it humorous and what
kind of humor technique it uses, such as sarcasm, self-deprecation, inside jokes, etc.

B. Find an example of hidden theory from any source, such as a news article, a docu-
mentary, a podcast, a blog post, etc. Explain what kind of theory it applies and how it in-
fluences the public’s perception or opinion, such as gatekeeping, agenda-setting, fram-
ing, priming, cultural criticism, etc.

C. Share your examples and explanations with your partner or the class and discuss
whether you agree or disagree with their analysis. You can also give feedback or sug-
gestions on how to improve their explanations. (Note: This will be perform f2f).

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Rubrics
Here are some scoring guide for the activity on the hidden media humor and hidden theory. You
can use these rubrics to evaluate your own or your partner’s work.
 Hidden media humor example: 2 points
o The example is relevant, clear, and appropriate for the topic. (2 points)

o The example is vague, unclear, or inappropriate for the topic. (1 point)

o The example is missing or irrelevant for the topic. (0 points)

 Hidden media humor explanation: 3 points

o The explanation identifies and describes the humor technique used in the exam-
ple and provides evidence or reasoning to support it. (3 points)
o The explanation partially identifies or describes the humor technique used in the
example and provides some evidence or reasoning to support it. (2 points)
o The explanation vaguely or incorrectly identifies or describes the humor tech-
nique used in the example and provides little or no evidence or reasoning to sup-
port it. (1 point)
o The explanation is missing or irrelevant for the example. (0 points)

 Hidden theory example: 2 points

o The example is relevant, clear, and appropriate for the topic. (2 points)

o The example is vague, unclear, or inappropriate for the topic. (1 point)

o The example is missing or irrelevant for the topic. (0 points)

 Hidden theory explanation: 3 points

o The explanation identifies and describes the theory applied in the example and
provides evidence or reasoning to support it. (3 points)
o The explanation partially identifies or describes the theory applied in the example
and provides some evidence or reasoning to support it. (2 points)
o The explanation vaguely or incorrectly identifies or describes the theory applied
in the example and provides little or no evidence or reasoning to support it. (1
point)
o The explanation is missing or irrelevant for the example. (0 points)
References:
https://bing.com/search?q=language+and+humor
https://oxfordre.com/linguistics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.001.0001/
acrefore-9780199384655-e-342
https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/abstract/document/obo-9780199772810/obo-
9780199772810-0191.xml
https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-3894-8-sample.pdf
https://books.google.com/books/about/Language_and_Humour_in_the_Media.html?
id=kVAsBwAAQBAJ
https://fass.nus.edu.sg/cls/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2020/10/Hodson.pdf
https://apnews.com/oddities
https://hbr.org/2020/07/sarcasm-self-deprecation-and-inside-jokes-a-users-guide-to-
humor-at-work
https://www.britannica.com/topic/humor