Breaking down the laughter: an exploration into the linguistic dimensions in stand-up comedy ratings

Abstract

Abstract Despite the pervasive influence of humor in society, comprehensive quantitative studies exploring its dimensions and societal reception are scarce. This study advances the field by analyzing stand-up comedy specials, linking linguistic elements to humor theories and audience ratings, using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-22). The analysis explored the presence and association of Affect, Social, and Cognitive dimensions with ratings of standup comedy shows. Statistical analyses entailed using linear mixed models, incorporating comedians as random effects. Female comedians consistently received lower ratings than males, reflecting historical gender biases, while recent shows received lower ratings than older ones, suggesting the challenge of surpassing pioneering works. Negative emotion positively influenced ratings, while negative mood words had a detrimental effect, highlighting the delicate balance in comedic narratives. Social markers significantly predicted ratings, with moralization negatively impacting them, while the use of social referents, particularly female pronouns, improved ratings. These findings offer valuable insights into the linguistic dynamics of stand-up comedy, informing future research and practice in the comedy industry.

Keywords

• Stand-up comedy
• Linguistic analysis
• Humor production
• Audience reception
• Social processes
• Affect