Humor in the Comedy Show Amu Mal Daejanchi: An Incongruity-Resolution Theory Perspective

doi:10.18627/jslg.41.3.202511.309

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2025 Vol.41, Issue 3 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

Humor in the Comedy Show Amu Mal Daejanchi: An Incongruity-Resolution Theory Perspective 부조화-해소 이론으로 보는 코미디 쇼 <아무 말 대잔치>의 유머: 이다연^1*
Lee, Dayeon^1*; ¹서울대학교

¹Seoul National University

30 November 2025. pp. 309-325

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Abstract

This study examines the humor of Amu Mal Daejanchi, a segment from KBS’s Gag Concert, through Incongruity-Resolution Theory and Relevance Theory. The analysis identifies five characteristics that define this high-density comedy format: the normalization of non- contextuality as a rule, minimal processing effort via strong non-verbal setups, shared cognitive rules between performers and audiences, contextual effects through the interplay of old and new information, and pattern-based incongruity that balances repetition with variation. This study demonstrates how traditional humor principles are implemented in extreme and novel forms in short-form comedy, aligning with cognitive processing patterns favored in the compressed media era.

Keywords

humor

incongruity-resolution theory

relevance theory

Korean comedy show

human cognition

References

김연서. 2025. 유튜브(YouTube) 코미디 콘텐츠 특성 및 내러티브 연구: <이수근채널>, <웃고리즘>을 중심으로. 석사학위논문, 중앙대학교 예술대학원.
강병창. 2016. 부조화 - 해소 모델의 관점에서 본 언어적 유머의 유형과 특성. 독어학, 34, 1-25.
구현정. 2018. 유머에 관한 인지적 접근 - 불일치 이론을 중심으로. 한말연구, 49, 5-34.
서명희. 2023. 옛이야기 그림책의 유머 내용분석. 석사학위논문, 가톨릭대학교 교육대학원.
이서라. 2022. Analysis of Humor from the Perspective of Incongruity Theory : Focusing on a YouTube Parody Video Titled ‘Parodysite’. 교양기초교육연구, 3.1, 63-76. 10.37998/LE.2022.3.1.2
Attardo, S. 1994. Linguistic Theories of Humor. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Attardo, S. 2001. Humorous Texts: A Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110887969
Attardo, S and Raskin, V. 1991. Script Theory Revisited: Joke Similarity and Joke Representation Model. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 4, 293-347. 10.1515/humr.1991.4.3-4.293
Bai, Y. 2011. Incongruity-Resolution in English Humor. Theory and Practice in Language Studies 1.1, 83-86. 10.4304/tpls.1.1.83-86
Bariaud, F. 1983. La Genèse de l’humour chez l’enfant. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. 10.3917/puf.baria.1983.01
Dynel, M. 2012. Garden Paths, Red Lights and Crossroads: On Finding Our Way to Understanding the Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying Jokes. Israeli Journal of Humor Research 1.1, 6-28.
Forabosco, G. 1992. Cognitive Aspects of the Humor Process: The Concept of Incongruity. Cognitive Aspects of the Humor Process: The Concept of Incongruity. Humor - International Journal of Humor Research 5.1-2, 45-62. 10.1515/humr.1992.5.1-2.45
Forabosco, G. 2008. Is the Concept of Incongruity Still a Useful Construct for the Advancement of Humor Research? Lodz Papers in Pragmatics 4.1, 45-62. 10.2478/v10016-008-0003-5
Giora, R. 1991. On the Cognitive Aspects of the Joke. Journal of Pragmatics 16.5, 465-485. 10.1016/0378-2166(91)90137-M
Grice, H. P. 1975. Logic and Conversation. In P. Cole and J. L. Morgan (eds.), Syntax and Semantics 3: Speech Acts. New York: Academic Press, 41-58. 10.1163/9789004368811_003
Lintott, S. 2016. Superiority in Humor Theory. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 74.4, 347-358. 10.1111/jaac.12321
Martin, R. A. 2006. The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach, London: Academic Press. 10.1016/B978-012372564-6/50024-1
McGhee, P. E. 1979. Humor: Its Origin and Development. San Francisco, CA: Freeman.
Ritchie, G. 1999. Developing the Incongruity-Resolution Theory. In Proceedings of AISB Symposium on Creative Language: Stories and Humour, Edinburgh, April.
Shultz, T. R. 1972. The Role of Incongruity and Resolution in Children’s Appreciation of Cartoon Humor. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 13.3, 456-477. 10.1016/0022-0965(72)90074-4
Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. 1986. Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell.
Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. 1995. Relevance: Communication and Cognition (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.
Suls, J. M. 1972. A Two-Stage Model for the Appreciation of Jokes and Cartoons: An Information-Processing Analysis, In: J. H. Goldstein and P. E. McGhee (eds), The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues, New York: Academic Press, 81-100. 10.1016/B978-0-12-288950-9.50010-9
Yus, F. 2016. Humour and Relevance. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Yus, F. 2017. Incongruity-Resolution Cases in Jokes. Lingua 197, 103-122. 10.1016/j.lingua.2017.02.002
Zuo, B. 2020. Why does Humor Fail or Occur Unexpectedly? — An Account of Humor within an Extended Relevance Theory. Journal of Pragmatics 160, 1-13. 10.1016/j.pragma.2020.02.006

Information

Publisher :The Modern Linguistic Society of Korea
Publisher(Ko) :한국현대언어학회
Journal Title :The Journal of Studies in Language
Journal Title(Ko) :언어연구
Volume : 41
No :3
Pages :309-325
DOI :https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.41.3.202511.309

[1] 김연서. 2025. 유튜브(YouTube) 코미디 콘텐츠 특성 및 내러티브 연구: <이수근채널>, <웃고리즘>을 중심으로. 석사학위논문, 중앙대학교 예술대학원.

[2] 강병창. 2016. 부조화 - 해소 모델의 관점에서 본 언어적 유머의 유형과 특성. 독어학, 34, 1-25.

[3] 구현정. 2018. 유머에 관한 인지적 접근 - 불일치 이론을 중심으로. 한말연구, 49, 5-34.

[4] 서명희. 2023. 옛이야기 그림책의 유머 내용분석. 석사학위논문, 가톨릭대학교 교육대학원.

[5] 이서라. 2022. Analysis of Humor from the Perspective of Incongruity Theory : Focusing on a YouTube Parody Video Titled ‘Parodysite’. 교양기초교육연구, 3.1, 63-76. 10.37998/LE.2022.3.1.2

[6] Attardo, S. 1994. Linguistic Theories of Humor. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

[7] Attardo, S. 2001. Humorous Texts: A Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110887969

[8] Attardo, S and Raskin, V. 1991. Script Theory Revisited: Joke Similarity and Joke Representation Model. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 4, 293-347. 10.1515/humr.1991.4.3-4.293

[9] Bai, Y. 2011. Incongruity-Resolution in English Humor. Theory and Practice in Language Studies 1.1, 83-86. 10.4304/tpls.1.1.83-86

[10] Bariaud, F. 1983. La Genèse de l’humour chez l’enfant. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. 10.3917/puf.baria.1983.01

[11] Dynel, M. 2012. Garden Paths, Red Lights and Crossroads: On Finding Our Way to Understanding the Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying Jokes. Israeli Journal of Humor Research 1.1, 6-28.

[12] Forabosco, G. 1992. Cognitive Aspects of the Humor Process: The Concept of Incongruity. Cognitive Aspects of the Humor Process: The Concept of Incongruity. Humor - International Journal of Humor Research 5.1-2, 45-62. 10.1515/humr.1992.5.1-2.45

[13] Forabosco, G. 2008. Is the Concept of Incongruity Still a Useful Construct for the Advancement of Humor Research? Lodz Papers in Pragmatics 4.1, 45-62. 10.2478/v10016-008-0003-5

[14] Giora, R. 1991. On the Cognitive Aspects of the Joke. Journal of Pragmatics 16.5, 465-485. 10.1016/0378-2166(91)90137-M

[15] Grice, H. P. 1975. Logic and Conversation. In P. Cole and J. L. Morgan (eds.), Syntax and Semantics 3: Speech Acts. New York: Academic Press, 41-58. 10.1163/9789004368811_003

[16] Lintott, S. 2016. Superiority in Humor Theory. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 74.4, 347-358. 10.1111/jaac.12321

[17] Martin, R. A. 2006. The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach, London: Academic Press. 10.1016/B978-012372564-6/50024-1

[18] McGhee, P. E. 1979. Humor: Its Origin and Development. San Francisco, CA: Freeman.

[19] Ritchie, G. 1999. Developing the Incongruity-Resolution Theory. In Proceedings of AISB Symposium on Creative Language: Stories and Humour, Edinburgh, April.

[20] Shultz, T. R. 1972. The Role of Incongruity and Resolution in Children’s Appreciation of Cartoon Humor. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 13.3, 456-477. 10.1016/0022-0965(72)90074-4

[21] Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. 1986. Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell.

[22] Sperber, D. and Wilson, D. 1995. Relevance: Communication and Cognition (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.

[23] Suls, J. M. 1972. A Two-Stage Model for the Appreciation of Jokes and Cartoons: An Information-Processing Analysis, In: J. H. Goldstein and P. E. McGhee (eds), The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues, New York: Academic Press, 81-100. 10.1016/B978-0-12-288950-9.50010-9

[24] Yus, F. 2016. Humour and Relevance. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

[25] Yus, F. 2017. Incongruity-Resolution Cases in Jokes. Lingua 197, 103-122. 10.1016/j.lingua.2017.02.002

[26] Zuo, B. 2020. Why does Humor Fail or Occur Unexpectedly? — An Account of Humor within an Extended Relevance Theory. Journal of Pragmatics 160, 1-13. 10.1016/j.pragma.2020.02.006

The Journal of Studies in Language ISSN:1225-4770(Print) 2671-6151(Online) 언어연구

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