Body Language Humor

by Don L. F. Nilsen and

Alleen Pace Nilsen

1
Association of Applied and
Therapeutic Humor

2
 Avery Nilsen, Our Grandson
At the 2014 AATH Convention
(Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor)
Red Skelton Museum in Vincennes, Indiana

3
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
• Contrast sign language and finger
spelling.

• Iconic Sign Language: Male-Female,

Past-Future, Hand shape, Location,
Movement, Palm Orientation, Finger
Spelling

4
American Sign Language:
Finger Spelling vs. Signing

5
Arizona Politics

6
Justin Timberlake and Santa Claus: “Cup O’ Soup”:
http://www.wat.tv/video/justin-timberlake-cup-soup-d1y0_2ftur_.html

7
 In Flags: The Peace Symbol
Nuclear Disarmament (N & D)

8
 FACE
• Frown
• Giggle
• Grimace
• Grin
• Guffaw
• Laugh
• Scowl
• Smile
• Smirk
• Snarl
9
10
 THE BABY’S EVIL EYE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBSYD0dQCAw

11
Doppelgangers: The Evil Eye

12
 Red Skelton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBY_BGALr3M

13
 HEAD
• Flutter eyelashes
• Grit teeth
• Hold nose
• Nod head (yes)
• Raise eyebrows
• Shake head (no)
• Stick out tongue
• Wink
• Wrinkle nose
• Yawn
14
 LIE TO ME:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgRJ7-s0u7c

15
16
 SHOULDERS

• Rolling shoulder
suggestively

• Shrugging
shoulders in
disbelief or
wonderment
17
 The Juggling Politician

https://www.youtube.com/embed/n6mbW-jMtrY?rel=0

18
19
 HANDS, FINGERS & THUMB
• Applauding
• Extending pinkey American Sign Language
• Crossing fingers (to lie) Applauding

• Giving the finger

• Holding hands
• Pointing
• Shaking hands (note
gender & ethnic
differences)
• Thumbing a ride
• Thumbs up
• Twiddling thumbs
20
Louis (Sachmo) Armstrong: “What a Wonderful World!”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ5MJqB9myA

21
Sun Devils and Nerd Fighters

22
 Uncle Sam Recruitment Poster
• Here is Uncle Sam’s
pointing finger.

• This is a rude
gesture in some
cultures.

23
DAVE CHAPPELLE’S THUMB
• Chappelle tells about a high-jacked airplane
in which he sees another Black male and
they do a thumbs up to each other.

• “We were just communicating that we

understood the situation. We were both
seeing the same thing. What we understood
was simply—terrorists don’t take black
hostages.

24
The Thumbs-Up Strawberry

25
 ARMS
• Limp wrist
• Raise hand in class
• Sign of the cross
• Waving hand (note
gender differences)
• Sports Signals (See
the next slide)

26
 SPORTS BODY LANGUAGE
• BASEBALL: Fair Ball, Foul Ball, Home Run, Out, Strike
– Plus Signals from the Catcher to the Pitcher, to the Infield, and to
the Outfield
– Plus Coach Signals for the Batter, from the First-Base Coach, and
from the Third-Base Coach

• BASKETBALL: Basket Counts, Basket Doesn’t Count, Blocking Foul,

Held Ball, In Bounce, Moving Screen, Offensive Fowl, Out of Bounds,
Time Out

• FOOTBALL: Clipping, Face Mask, Illegal Celebration, Illegal

Procedure, Late Hit, Offside, Pass Interference, Roughing the Kicker,
Roughing the Passer, Safety, Touchdown, Unnecessary Roughness
– Plus Metaphors related to most of these expressions like hardball
softball and ballpark figure.

27
 LEGS & FEET
• Crossing legs (note
gender & ethnic
differences)

• Sitting on a park
bench

• Sitting on a bus seat

• Slapping knee while

laughing 28
 MINISTRY OF SILLY WALKS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqhlQfXUk7w

29
 SPACE BUBBLES:
The University of Texas Shooter
• Asian vs. Latin had the space bubble of
American a paranoid.

• Doorway, Subway,
Elevator

• University of Texas:
Texas Tower Sniper

30
 TIME EXPECTATIONS

• Latin American vs. Mormon

• Cocktail Party vs. Dinner vs. Class

31
 UNINTENTIONAL BODY LANGUAGE

• blinking
• blushing
• cowering
• cringing
• shuddering
• trembling
• twisting hair
• weeping 32
Tim Conway as a Dentist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfTyEtVIe84

33
 BODY METAPHORS:
• To be on your toes
• To be stuck up
• To be up in arms Total Relaxation
• To break a leg
• To count noses
• To foot the bill
• To have your tongue in your
cheek
• To keep a stiff upper lip
• To keep your chin up
• To play it by ear
• To put your foot in your mouth
• To see eye to eye
• To shake a leg
• To throw in the towel

34
Mr. Bean Getting Up Late for the Dentist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VumrpkL6RS0

35
Exuberance and Sadness:
First Day of School

36
Doppelgangers and Body Doubles
Richard Nixon

37
James Carville

38
John McCain

39
Hillary Clinton

40
Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin

41
Sarah Palin and Tina Fey

42
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr0_x2lxRdc

43
 Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton

44
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul-3JDAnqjI

45
 Body Language Plus Intonation
• Use only the words “John” and
“Marsha” to indicate the
following:

• Anger vs. Fear

• Resignation vs. Exuberance

• Sadness vs. Surprise

• Pretentiousness vs. Aloofness

• Hate vs. Passion

Desire
46
Happiness

47
Friendship

48
Love

49
50
 Full-Body Language

3-YEAR-OLD CONDUCTING BEETHOVEN’S 5th SYMPHONY:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0REJ-lCGiKU

51
Amusement and Antipathy

52
Enthusiasm vs. Arrogance

53
Total Involvement

54
EGG TRICK: Tom DeLuise and Johnny Carson:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/138148

55
 PARALANGUAGE
• Giddyup (plus lateral click)
• Hiss
• Huh?
• Raspberry (Bronx Cheer)
• Shush
• Swearing (*&#@+&%$@~*)
• Tsk tsk
• Uchhhhh
• Uh huh (yes & no)
• Wolf whistle
• Yuchhhh

56
 SLAPSTICK ON “CHEERS”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1kbn-LOpes

57
EXPLAIN HOW THE FOLLOWING GESTURES ARE INTERPRETED
DIFFERENTLY IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

• Biting your thumbnail

• Kissing someone on Age Differences
the cheeks
• Putting your hands on
your hips
• Using arm gestures
• Using eye gestures
• Using finger gestures
• Using hand gestures
• Using lip gestures

58
Social In-Bonding

59
 SILENT MONKS SINGING “HALLELUIA CHORUS”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU&feature=related

60
61
Social Out-Bonding

62
Point of View

63
Physical Workout Dance Humor:
http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/openGraph/wid/0_u0r71mg5

64
Parody

65
Photobombing

66
SEND IN THE CLOWNS! (Frank Sinatra, et. al.):
http://www.yourememberthat.com/media/10939/Send_In_The_Clowns/#.V
BdREfnIY9Y

67
 Four Really Talented Ladies:

http://www.reshareworthy.com/amazing-quartet-blew-audience-away/#HlDc3TMGOGULZGi4.01

68