Article published In:
Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict: Online-First Articles

The virtue and shades of aggressive humour in press advertising

ORCID logo | University of Silesia in Katowice

Disparaging humour may take numerous forms and despite the emotional ambivalence it may occasionally cause, it may prove a valuable quality of an ad. While investigating one hundred multimodal press ads in English that simultaneously make use of metaphor and humour based on an incongruity-resolution mechanism, it was discovered that one-third thereof employed aggressive humour as well (Stwora 2023). Given the high incidence of the aggressive function in these ads, this paper explores this disparaging dimension in more detail to show that various shades of aggressiveness may be perceived as a virtue when used in advertising discourse. The paper advocates a need to consider further sub-categorisations of the aggressive function of humour when applied in advertising to reflect different hostility levels.

Keywords: marketing communication, advertising discourse, humour studies, aggressive function of humour, adaptive/maladaptive humour
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Humour in ads
  • 3.Incongruity-resolution versus superiority humour
    • 3.1Incongruity-resolution theory of humour
    • 3.2Superiority theory of humour
  • 4.Humour functions – A short overview
  • 5.Methods and data
    • 5.1Theoretical framework
  • 6.Results and discussion
    • 6.1 Example 1 – Toys R Us
    • 6.2 Example 2 – Band Aid
    • 6.3 Example 3 – Lifebuoy
    • 6.4 Example 4a/b – Del Mar Spa
  • 7.Typological issues concerning the aggressive function
  • 8.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 16 April 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlac.00102.stw
References (61)
Attardo, Salvatore
1994 Linguistic Theories of Humor. Berlin, New York: De Gruyter Mouton.Google Scholar
2015 “Humorous Metaphors.” In Cognitive Linguistics and Humor Research, edited by Geert Brône, Kurt Feyaerts, and Tony Veale, 91–110. Berlin, New York: De Gruyter Mouton. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Attardo, Salvatore, and Raskin, Victor
1991 “Script Theory Revis(it)ed: Joke Similarity and Joke Representation Model.” Humor 41: 293–347. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language online
[URL]
Barsoux, Jean-Louis
1993 Funny Business: Humour Management and Business Culture. London: Cassell.Google Scholar
Beard, Fred K.
2008 “Advertising and Audience Offense: The Role of Intentional Humor.” Journal of Marketing Communications 14 (1): 1–17. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Beermann, Ursula, and Willibald Ruch
2009a “How Virtuous is Humor? Evidence from Everyday Behavior.” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 221: 395–417. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2009b “How Virtuous is Humor? What We Can Learn from Current Instruments.” Journal of Positive Psychology 41: 528–539. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Berger, Arthur Asa
1993 An Anatomy of Humor. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.Google Scholar
Besser, Avi, and Virgil Zeigler-Hill
2011 “Pathological Forms of Narcissism and Perceived Stress during the Transition to the University: The Mediating Role of Humor.” International Journal of Stress Management 18 (3): 197–221. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Blackford, Benjamin J., James Gentry, Robert L. Harrison, and Les Carlson
2011 “The Prevalence and Influence of the Combination of Humor and Violence in Super Bowl Commercials.” Journal of Advertising 40 (4): 123–133. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Buijzen, Moniek, and Patti M. Valkenburg
2004 “Developing a Typology of Humor in Audiovisual Media.” Media Psychology 6 (2): 147–167. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chłopicki, Władysław
1987 An Application of the Script Theory of Semantics to the Analysis of Selected Polish Humorous Short Stories. Unpublished M.A. Thesis. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
2000 “Linguistic Analysis of Humour in Short Stories.” In Świat Humoru edited by Stanisław Gajda, Dorota Brzozowska, 513–524. Opole: Drukarnia Wydawnictwa Św. Krzyża w Opolu.Google Scholar
2006 “Humour and Cognition: Dynamics of Characters and Events.” In Język a Komunikacja. At the Crossroads of Linguistic Sciences 10 1, edited by Piotr Chruszczewski, 331–347. Kraków: Tertium.Google Scholar
Cline, Thomas W., and James J. Kellaris
1999 “The Joint Impact of Humor and Argument Strength in a Print Advertising Context: A Case for Weaker Arguments.” Psychology and Marketing 16 (1): 69–86. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Davies, Christie
1990 Ethnic Humor around the World: A Comparative Analysis. Bloomington, Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.Google Scholar
DiCioccio, Rachel L.
2012 “Humor as Aggressive Communication.” In Humor Communication: Theory, Impact, and Outcomes, edited by Rachel L. DiCioccio, 93–108. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt.Google Scholar
Dore, Margherita
2020 “Intertextuality and Failed Taboo Humour in Advertising.” The European Journal of Humour Research 8 (3): 99–114. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dynel, Marta
2013 “Humorous Phenomena in Dramatic Discourse.” The European Journal of Humour Research 1 (1): 22–60. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Eisend, Martin
2011 “How Humor in Advertising Works: A Meta-Analytic Test of Alternative Models.” Marketing Letters 221: 115–132. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ferguson, Mark A., and Thomas E. Ford
2008 “Disparagement Humor: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Psychoanalytic, Superiority and Social Identity Theories.” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 211: 283–312. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fry, William F.
1963 Sweet Madness: A Study of Humor. Palo Alto: Pacific. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Graham, Elizabeth E., Michael J. Papa, and Gordon P. Brooks
1992 “Functions of Humor in Conversation: Conceptualization and Measurement.” Western Journal of Communication 561: 161–183. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gray, John
1992 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships. New York, NY: HarperCollins.Google Scholar
Gruner, Charles R.
1997 The Game of Humour: A Comprehensive Theory of Why We Laugh. New Brunswick, NY: Transaction Publishers.Google Scholar
Gulas, Charles S., and Marc G. Weinberger
2006 Humor in Advertising. Armonk, NY, and London: M. E. Sharpe.Google Scholar
Gulas, Charles S., Charles R. Taylor, and Marc G. Weinberger
2021 Humor in Advertising: Classic Perspectives and New Insights. New York: Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Hilliard, Robert L.
2014 Writing for Television, Radio, and New Media. Stanford, CT: Cengage Learning.Google Scholar
Horňák, Pavel
2017 “Humour―The Strongest Emotional Appeal in Advertising.” In Strategic Innovative Marketing. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics edited by Androniki Kavoura, Damianos P. Sakas, and Petros Tomaras, 259–264. Cham: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hempelmann, Christian F.
2017 “Key Terms in the Field of Humor.” In The Routledge Handbook of Language and Humor edited by Salvatore Attardo, 34–48. New York: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hurley, Matthew M., Daniel C. Dennett, and Reginald B. Adams Jr.
2011 Inside Jokes. Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind. Cambridge, MA and London: The MIT Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2017 Filozofia Dowcipu. Humor jako Siła Napędowa Umysłu (Trans. Rafał Śmietana). Kraków: Copernicus Center Press.Google Scholar
Infante, Dominic A.
1987 “Aggressiveness.” In Personality and Interpersonal Communication edited by James C. McCroskey and John A. Daly, 157–192. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Koszałkowska, Karolina, and Monika Wróbel
2019 “Moral Judgment of Disparagement Humor.” Humor 32 (4): 619–641. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Krikmann, Arvo
2006 “Contemporary Linguistic Theories of Humour.” Folklore. Electronic Journal of Folklore 331: 27–58. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin, Rod A., Patricia Puhlik-Doris, Gwen Larsen, Jeanette Gray, and Kelly Weir
2003 “Individual Differences in Use of Humor and Their Relation to Psychological Well-being: Development of the Humor Styles Questionnaire.” Journal of Research in Personality 37 (1): 48–75. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
McGraw, Peter, and Joel Warner
2015 The Humour Code. A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny. New York etc.: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.Google Scholar
Meyer, John C.
2000 “Humor as Double-Edged Sword: Four Functions of Humor in Communication.” Communication Theory 101: 310–331. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Michalik, Urszula, and Iwona Sznicer
2017 “The Use of Humor in the Multicultural Working Environment.” In Multiculturalism, Multilingualism and the Self: Studies in Linguistics and Language Learning edited by Danuta Gabryś-Barker, Dagmara Gałajda, Adam Wojtaszek, and Paweł Zakrajewski, 19–32. Berlin: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Morreall, John
1983 Taking Laughter Seriously. New York: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Peters, Natalie, Lucie Holmgreen, and Debra Oswald
2015 “It’s Just a Joke: Reactions to and Justifications for Gender Role Stereotypes in Advertisements.” Journal of Psychological Research 20 (3): 160–168.Google Scholar
Plester, Barbara, Tim Bentley, and Emily Brewer
2022 “ ‘It Only Hurts When I Laugh’: Tolerating Bullying Humour in Order to Belong at Work.” The European Journal of Humour Research 10 (2): 116–134. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Raskin, Victor
1985 Semantic Mechanisms of Humor. Dordrecht: D. Reidel.Google Scholar
Rosch, Eleanor
1978 “Principles of Categorisation.” In Cognition and Categorisation, edited by Eleanor Rosch and Barbara B. Lloyd, 27–48. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Ruch, Willibald, and Sonja Heintz
2016 “The Virtue Gap in Humor: Exploring Benevolent and Corrective Humor.” Translational Issues in Psychological Science 2 (1): 35–45. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Santiago, Marina, and Sarah Seewoester Cain
2017 “Audience Affiliation, Membership Categories, and the Construction of Humor in Stand-Up Comedy.” In Humorous Discourse edited by Władysław Chłopicki and Dorota Brzozowska, 155–177. Boston/Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Schmidt-Hidding, Wolfgang
1963 “Wit and Humor.” In Humor und Witz, edited by Wolfgang Schmidt-Hidding, 37–160. Munich: Hueber.Google Scholar
Stwora, Anna
2020a “The Thin Invisible Line – Between Funny and Distasteful Multimodal Advertising Discourse.” In Explorations in Humor Studies: Humor Research Project, edited by Marcin Kuczok, Anna Stwora, and Mariola Świerkot, 129–151. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.Google Scholar
2020b “Funny or Distasteful? A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Surprise and Humour in Multimodal Advertising.” The European Journal of Humour Research 8 (2): 113–128. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2020c “Sociopragmatic and Strategic Functions of Humour in Intercultural Business Contexts.” In Exploring Business Language and Culture, edited by Urszula Michalik, Anna Stwora, Iwona Sznicer, and Paweł Zakrajewski, 143–156. Cham: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2021 “On the Popcultural Life of Historical Works of Art in Humorous Advertising.” Świat i Słowo / World and Word 36 (1): 167–181. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2022 “The Intricacies of (Debatable) Humour in Advertising: A Cross-Cultural Standpoint.” Academic Journal of Modern Philology 181: 177–190.Google Scholar
2023 Synergistic Application of Metaphorical and Humorous Elements in Polish and English Advertising Discourse. Katowice: University of Silesia Press.Google Scholar
Stwora, Anna, and Grzegorz Zemełka
2020 “Towards Enhancement, Distraction or Oblivion – Studying the Impact of Humorous Language in Advertising.” In Explorations in Humor Studies: Humor Research Project, edited by Marcin Kuczok, Anna Stwora, and Mariola Świerkot, 152–175. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.Google Scholar
Śniecikowska, Beata
2017 “Books with Pictures, Pictures with Sounds. On Some Phono-Visual Strategies in Avant-Garde and Post-Avant-Garde Literature for Children.” Paper presented at the conference Culture • Cognition • Communication: (Inter)cultural Perspectives on Language and the Mind (ICPLM 2017), Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, September 14–15, 2017.
Tsakona, Villy
2009 “Language and Image Interaction in Cartoons: Towards a Multimodal Theory of Humor.” Journal of Pragmatics 411: 1171–1188. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wiggins, Jerry S.
1991 “Agency and Communion as Conceptual Coordinates for the Understanding and Measurement of Interpersonal Behavior.” In Thinking Clearly about Psychology: Essays in Honor of Paul E. Meehl, Vol. 1. Matters of Public Interest, Vol. 2. Personality and Psychopathology, edited by Dante Cicchetti and William M. Grove, 89–113. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
Wolff, H. A., C. E. Smith, and H. Murray
1943 “The Psychology of Humor: A Study of the Responses to Race Disparagement Jokes.” Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 281: 341–365. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Yus, Francisco
2003 “Humor and the Search for Relevance.” Journal of Pragmatics 35 (9): 1295–1331. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2016 Humour and Relevance. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar