Kant, an Expectation Unfulfilled...

First of all, I really don't enjoy reading Kant. I think he's very boring, even if occasionally right. Perhaps it stems from a philosophy class I took freshmen year...regardless, I get bored out of my mind while reading him.

Enough of the aside, and onto Kant. First, Kant's major idea is that "laughter is an affection arising from the sudden transformation of a strained expectation into nothing" (47). Of all the online comics I've read, one Cyanide&Happiness is the one that I've noticed to be true in almost every case. While some are offensive, others show this case exactly.

This example is one of my favorite from this comic site. In the first frame we get an example of something we wouldn't expect; a father trying to sell his son. But throughout the strip, we also don't expect the son to be going along with this. (I will admit that I believe the imagery helps, that is to say the facial expressions of the characters).


Kant also says that laughter helps people feel healthier. He goes through the whole bodily process that results in laughter. This is hard to disagree with in by any means, since we know that laughing releases endorphins which elevate our mood.

While there is no punch-line to most Cyanide and Happiness comics (something which Kant emphasizes), they are funny nonetheless. While jokes with a punch line may be much easier to deliver, a punch-line joke is no longer necessary. Many comedians have switched to one-liners to get many points across quickly. Demetri Martin is a perfect example of this. I won't go into his skit, but if you're interested, look him up!