Fahlbusch, Madeleine_Final Manuscript

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Running head: WEIGHT AND GENDER AFFECTS PERCEIVED FUNNINESS
How Weight and Gender Affect a Comedian’s Perceived Funniness and Likability
Madeleine R. Fahlbusch
Xavier University

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WEIGHT AND GENDER AFFECTS PERCEIVED FUNNINESS
Self-deprecating humor involves denigrating or belittling one’s own characteristics to elicit
laughs (Janes & Olson, 2000). Although self-deprecating humor is common, it risks drawing
attention to “stigmatized characteristics” and diminishing the self-deprecator’s status in the eyes
of others (Lundy et al., 1998). The current study examines the effects of comedians’
characteristics on the perceived funniness of self-deprecating humor. Using advertisements for
an on-campus comedy show, comedians’ characteristics (i.e., gender and weight) was conveyed
through self-deprecating jokes, and undergraduates rated how funny and likable they anticipated
the comedians to be. Overweight female comedians are expected to be less funny and less
likable, (reflecting their “layered stigma”) than their male or non-overweight counterparts.
Results suggested that the use of self-deprecating humor by female comedians caused
participants to perceive them as more funny than male comedians because society is accepting of
a female belittling herself but is not as accepting when it is being done by a male. The results
generalized to the understanding for why some comedians are perceived as more funny and
likability than others.
How Weight and Gender Affects Perceived Funniness
In the 2012 movie Pitch Perfect, overweight actress/comedian Rebel Wilson plays a
character that goes by the moniker of “Fat Amy” and is the only character in the movie whose
weight is discussed (Chen, 2012). Melissa McCarthy, another prominent overweight
actress/comedian, has frequently been dubbed by the media as “America’s Plus-Sized
Sweetheart” (Lang, 2014, p. 1). Popular culture often focuses on overweight female
entertainers’ physiques. Fortunately, there is evidence that womens' reputation in society is
changing. In the past century, women have gained the right to vote, there are more women
receiving a college diploma than ever before (Jeffrey, 2012), and a woman has had the ability to

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announce that she is running for president. In the current study, female comedians, particularly
overweight female comedians, may be perceived as less funny than male comedians of any
weight. The study’s purpose is to examine if people are more likely to find a joke funny if it is
told by a male comedian rather than a female comedian, especially if the female comedian is
overweight.
The gender inequality that exists in society could have implications for why individuals
find certain jokes to be funny. For example, Provine (1996) examined whether gender plays a
role in how much laughter a joke receives. Specifically, Provine assessed how many laughs
male and female speakers received while eavesdropping on people’s conversations. The results
revealed that both genders, when hearing a joke, laughed more when the speaker was a male
rather than a female. This finding is important because Provine (1996) concluded that the reason
male speakers receive more laughs than female speakers is because laughing is a subconsciously
submissive act. This is important because women are expected to behave in a submissive
manner towards men. The results are showing that this behavior even extends to a woman’s
sense of humor. The result that females laugh more in response to a male speaker suggests that
females are subconsciously aware that they are the less powerful sex. This conclusion could
explain why male comedians experience more popularity than female comedians (Feeney, 2013).
Males, as the more dominant sex, do not feel this same pressure so they do not laugh as readily at
a joke a female tells.
The world of comedy has historically been a male-dominated field. Perhaps then,
unsurprisingly, the notion that males are more successful at making people laugh is not new.
Sheppard (1985) examined society’s liking of female and male comedians in the mid-1970s and
in the early 1980s. Sheppard hypothesized that participants would like male comedians more

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than female comedians. He predicted this because historically, gender stereotypes have limited
the widespread success of female comedians. In the study, one hundred and thirty-four
participants were shown a video tape that depicted three to four minute clips featuring five
popular female comedians and five popular male comedians. The researchers did not control for
the content of the jokes. After viewing the entire tape, participants were asked to rate the
funniness of each comedian on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (dislike very much) to 5
(like very much). When the participants’ ratings for each comedian were averaged, the results
revealed that out of the ten comedians presented in the video clips, only one female comedian
(Lily Tomlin) was included in the top five most well-liked. Thus, in the comedic world thirty to
forty years ago, male comedians were liked more than female comedians.
In addition to female comedians being perceived as less funny than male comedians, the
weight of a comedian has been shown to impact perceived funniness. Sutherland (2004) wrote a
thought piece on Gwyneth Paltrow’s role in the movie Shallow Hal where she played both a thin,
attractive woman (from the perspective of Jack Black’s character) and a three hundred pound
woman (from the other movie characters’ perspectives). The audience sees Gwyneth Paltrow’s
character with a slender body for the majority of the movie, while every character in the movie,
besides the one played by Jack Black, reacts to her as though she is obese. Sutherland (2004)
also suspects that one reason the subject matter in the movie is perceived to be humorous is
because Paltrow’s character acts in a sensual manner. She does so despite having an overweight
body type. This is seen as foreign and laughably strange to the audience because society has
been conditioned to believe that overweight individuals are not sexy and when the attempt is
made it is uncomfortably funny. Society finds it easy to laugh at the way overweight females

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actresses/comedians look, but finds it harder to take these women seriously and laugh at the
content they are actually saying.
Unfortunately, fat stigmatization jokes are a regular occurrence in today’s television
shows and movies. Because jokes that belittle the physiques of overweight individuals are so
common (Chen, 2012), they may condition impressionable younger viewers to believe that these
kinds of jokes are acceptable (Freeman, 2012). In theory, if children are exposed to examples of
fat stigmatization in movies and television shows, they will be more likely to stigmatize
overweight individuals (Himes & Thompson, 2007). This early conditioning could potentially
explain why society does not take overweight comedians as seriously as non-overweight
comedians. To highlight how commonplace fat stigmatization jokes are for younger television
viewers, Himes and Thompson (2007) examined the prevalence of jokes relating to fat
stigmatization in modern movies and television shows. Vignettes were used that involved
examples of characters from movies and television shows saying a derogatory statement about
another character (e.g., “That girl I’m coaching is a fatty” from the movie Shallow Hal). One
hundred and thirty-five vignettes depicting media’s examples of fat stigmatization were used in
the study. Specifically, each vignette was evaluated based on seven categories: gender of the
person telling the joke, gender of the target of the joke, age of the person telling the joke, age of
the target of the joke, whether the target of the joke is an individual or a group of people,
whether the joke was direct or indirect, and whether the joke was verbal or non-verbal. Results
revealed that male characters were three times more likely to tell a joke that reflects fat
stigmatization than female characters. Results also revealed that the majority of the fat
stigmatizing was expressed verbally. Furthermore, the most common occurrence of fat
stigmatization within television and movies was a male making a joke towards an individual

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female. These results reveal that it is relatively common for male characters to victimize
overweight female characters which is harmful behavioral modeling for young viewers.
Fouts and Burggraf (1999) examined the amount of positive and negative comments, as
well as positive and negative self-comments, that women who were the main characters of their
television shows received regarding their body weight. Two trained observers participated in the
study. Participants coded twenty-eight situation comedies based on the categories of age, body
weight, and dieting. For the age category, participants coded which age group the female main
characters belonged to (e.g., teenager, 20 - 35, 36 - 50, 50+). For the body weight category,
participants coded whether the weight of each female main character was below average,
average, or above average. For the dieting category, participants coded whether the female main
characters displayed behavior that would imply that they were dieting or talked about the fact
that they were dieting. Results revealed that the most common age group (50+) and a very
common body weight range (above average) were underrepresented in situation comedies on TV
and that the 20 - 35 age group and the below average body weight range were overrepresented
compared to the actual female population. 69% of female main characters on TV were in the 20
- 35 age group and 33% being below average weight which are percentages that do not reflect
the general female population. Interestingly, the dieting category was reflective of the general
female population as many of the female main characters dieted but so do many women in
reality. This experiment’s results also reveal that female main characters receive most positive
feedback from male characters as opposed to from other female characters. This could lead to
young viewers to infer that males are most likely to reward them with positive feedback on their
bodies, particularly if they have a below average weight.

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Kuiper and Leite (2010) examined whether or not the style of humor that a person has
influences the way others perceive their personality to be. 166 participants enrolled in the
psychology program at the University of Western Ontario took part in the study. Participants
were assigned to one of three conditions: the high humor style condition, the low humor style
condition, and the typical university student condition. In the high humor style condition,
participants were to assess the personality of a person who utilized a diverse amount of humor
styles. In the low humor style condition, participants were to assess the personality of a person
who does not utilize a diverse amount of humor styles. In the typical university student
condition, participants were to assess the personality of an average college student. Results
revealed that individuals with a more diverse humor style were rated more favorably by
participants than individuals with less diverse humor styles.
Fouts and Burggraf (2000) examined the audience reactions to a character in a situational
comedy being made fun of by another character for their weight. 36 participants were recruited
to take part of the experiment as coders. Coders were responsible for coding different aspects of
media depictions of body shape and insults aimed at that: body weight, negative verbal
comments that a female character received from male characters on the TV show, and the
audience reaction to these negative comments. Results revealed that 14% of female main
characters on TV shows received insults about their body shape from male characters.
Purpose and Significance of the Current Study

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The purpose of the present study was to examine if a comedian’s weight and gender
affected his or her perceived funniness and likability ratings. It was hypothesized that non-
overweight comedians would be perceived as more funny and more likable than overweight
comedians. It was also hypothesized that male comedians would be perceived as more funny
and more likable than female comedians. Finally, it was hypothesized that non-overweight
female comedians would be perceived as more funny and more likable than overweight female
comedians, however, the weight of male comedians would not affect his or her perceived
funniness or likability. The study attempts to add to the existing research on society’s
perceptions that male comedians are funnier and more likable than female comedians and the fat
stigmatization against females that may help to explain this phenomenon.
Method
Participants
Approximately 120 undergraduate students enrolled in Psychology courses at Xavier
University will be recruited to participate via the School of Psychology’s participant pool (see
Appendix C). The study was conducted in classrooms on the Xavier University campus and
participants received fifteen minutes of participant pool credit for their involvement in the study.
Design
This study was a 2 (Comedian Weight: Overweight vs. Non-overweight) x 2 (Gender:
Male vs. Female) between-subjects design. The independent variables were the comedian’s
weight and gender and the dependent variables are perceived funniness and perceived likability.
Materials
Comedian flyers. Four flyers, created for use in this study, portrayed a comedian’s
gender and weight through self-deprecating jokes (see Appendices D, E, F, and G, respectively).

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Specifically, the flyers advertised a performance by a fake comedian who is supposedly
performing on Xavier University’s campus. The jokes presented on the flyer reflected self-
deprecating humor about the comedian’s weight and gender, and served as the medium for which
participants were exposed to the study’s independent variables.
Social attraction measure. To assess individuals’ social attraction to (funniness of) the
comedians, participants rated 25 qualities (adapted from Cann & Calhoun, 2001), on a scale
ranging from 1 (Disagree a Lot) to 6 (Agree a Lot) (see Appendix H). Fifteen of the qualities
were reverse scored before all 25 qualities were averaged, with higher scores being more
perceived funniness of the comedian.
Other human orientation measure. To assess individuals’ opinions about how funny
they find a comedian, thirteen statements were adapted from Booth-Butterfield and Booth-
Butterfield’s (1996) Humor Orientation scale (see Appendix I). Participants rate the statements
on a scale ranging from 1 (Disagree a Lot) to 6 (Agree a Lot). Four statements were reverse
scored. All scores were averaged, with higher scores being greater social attraction (i.e.,
perceived funniness).
Procedure
The study was conducted in small groups as a 2 x 2 between-subjects design. Prior to
participation in the study, all participants were informed of the purpose of the research and
complete an informed consent document (see Appendix A). A demographics questionnaire (see
Appendix K) was then completed. Subsequently, participants were randomly assigned to read
one of four flyers created to operationalize the key independent variables in the current study:

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under or overweight female comedian and under overweight male comedian. After completing
the tasks, the participants were thanked and debriefed (see Appendix B).
Appendix A
Informed Consent
PROJECT TITLE: How Characteristics of Comedians Affect Their Funniness
INVESTIGATOR: Madeleine Fahlbusch
You are being asked to participate in a research project conducted by Madeleine Fahlbusch
through Xavier University’s School of Psychology. This study is being conducted in partial
fulfillment of the course requirements for PY222 (Research Methods & Design II), taught by Dr.
Tammy Sonnentag.
This project investigates individuals’ opinions of the funniness of a comedian. Your
participation in this study will involve reading a flier advertising a comedian’s performance on
campus and then completing a questionnaire about your perceptions of the comedian. This study
should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. You will be given a copy of this informed
consent to keep.

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RISKS/BENEFITS: There are no known or anticipated risks related to your participation in this
study. Your responses are anonymous and therefore cannot be linked to you. Responses will be
coded by participant number only and aggregated data will be used in any reporting of results of
this study. You will receive 15 minutes of participant pool credit for your involvement in the
study.
TERMS OF PARTICIPATION: I understand that this project is research and that my
participation is completely voluntary. I also understand that if I decide to participate in this
study, I am free to withdraw from the study at any time, however I will not receive participant
pool credit. My refusal to participate in this study will have no effect on any future services to
which I may be entitled at Xavier University. I understand that I am under no obligation to
participate.
If you have any questions during the study, you may contact the researcher, Madeleine
Fahlbusch, at fahlbuschm@xavier.edu, or the professor supervising this study, Dr. Tammy
Sonnentag, at sonnentagt@xavier.edu. If any questions arise over your rights as a research
participant, you may contact Xavier University’s Institutional Review Board at (513) 745-2870.
I have been given information about this research study and its risks and benefits and have had
the opportunity to ask questions and to have my questions answered to my satisfaction. By
completing the survey, I freely give my consent to participate in this study.

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Appendix B
Debriefing Form
Thank you for participating in this study. The study you just completed focuses on factors (i.e.,
gender and weight) that influence individuals’ perceptions of a comedian’s funniness and
likability. We hope that by conducting this study, we will develop a better understanding of the
factors that influence individuals’ perceptions of a comedian when the comedian uses self-
deprecating humor.
Please keep the purpose of this study confidential and do not disclose any information about this
study to other potential participants.
If you have any questions or concerns about this study, or if you wish to inquire about the results
of this study, you may contact the researcher, Madeleine Fahlbusch, at fahlbuschm@xavier.edu,
or the professor supervising this study, Dr. Tammy Sonnentag, at sonnentagt@xavier.edu. If you
have questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact Xavier University’s
Institutional Review Board at (513) 745-2870.
Thank you for your participation!

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Appendix C
Recruitment of Participants
Title of Study: Rating the Funniness of Comedians
Description of Activities: After reviewing an informed consent document, you will be asked to
read a flier advertising a comedian coming to perform on campus. You will then be asked to
complete a measure assessing your perceptions of the comedian.
ResearcherEmail: fahlbuschm@xavier.edu
Time, Date, Location: TBA (Elet Hall classrooms)
ResearchCredit: 15 minutes
(Dis)qualifiers: Participants must be 18 years of age or older to participate.
Instructions: To participate in this study, please clearly print your name, your professor’s name,
and the course you are earning this research participation.
YOUR NAME: YOUR PROFESSOR’S NAME COURSE
1. _____________________ ___________________________ ____________
2. _____________________ ___________________________ ____________
3. _____________________ ___________________________ ____________
4. _____________________ ___________________________ ____________
5. _____________________ ___________________________ ____________
6. _____________________ ___________________________ ____________
7. _____________________ ___________________________ ____________

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Appendix D

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Female Non-Overweight
Appendix E

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Female Overweight
Appendix F

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Male Non-Overweight
Appendix G

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Male Overweight

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*Descriptions are same name as variable name*
Appendix H
Social Attraction (Likability)
INSTRUCTIONS: Below is a scale ranging from 1 (Disagree a Lot) to 6 (Agree a Lot). Please
indicate how much you disagree or agree with each statement by writing in the number next to
each statement that best reflects your opinion. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers;
we are only interested in your opinion.
———————————————————————————————————————
DISAGREE DISAGREE DISAGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE
A LOT SOMEWHAT A LITTLE A LITTLE SOMEWHAT A LOT
1 2 3 4 5 6
———————————————————————————————————————
1. _______ Self-centered. (-)
2. _______ Imaginative.
3. _______ Deceitful. (-)
4. _______ Interesting.
5. _______ Vain. (-)
6. _______ Creative.
7. _______ Complaining. (-)
8. _______ Pleasant.
9. _______ Troubled. (-)
10. _______ Friendly.
11. _______ Phony. (-)
12. _______ Clever.
13. _______ Mean. (-)
14. _______ Impulsive.
15. _______ Spiteful. (-)
16. _______ Perceptive.
17. _______ Rude. (-)
18. _______ Admirable.
19. _______ Insecure. (-)
20. _______ Intelligent.
21. _______ Belligerent. (-)
22. ________ Lazy. (-)
23. ________ Shallow. (-)
24. ________ Cold. (-)

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25. ________ Tiresome. (-) Note. (-) indicates a reversed keyed item.

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Appendix I
Other Humor Orientation (Funniness)
Adapted from Booth‐ Butterfield and Booth‐ Butterfield (1996)
INSTRUCTIONS: Below is a scale ranging from 1 (Disagree a Lot) to 6 (Agree a Lot). Please
indicate how much you disagree or agree with each statement by writing in the number next to
each statement that best reflects your opinion. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers;
we are only interested in your opinion.
———————————————————————————————————————
DISAGREE DISAGREE DISAGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE
A LOT SOMEWHAT A LITTLE A LITTLE SOMEWHAT A LOT
1 2 3 4 5 6
1. ________ This comedian regularly tells jokes and funny stories. OH1
2. ________ People usually laugh when this comedian tells a joke or story. OH2
3. ________ This comedian is funny without having to rehearse a joke. OH3
4. ________ Being funny is a natural communication style for this comedian. OH4
5. ________ This comedian cannot tell a joke well. (-) OH5
6. ________ People seldom ask this comedian to tell a joke. (-) OH6
7. ________ Others would say that this comedian is a funny person. OH7
8. ________ People don’t seem to play close attention when this comedian tells a joke. (-) OH8
9. ________ Even funny jokes seem flat when this comedian tells them. OH9
10.________ People often ask this comedian to tell a joke or story. OH10
11.________ Others would not say that this comedian is a funny person. (-) OH11
12.________ This comedian tells stories and jokes very well. OH12
13.________ Of all the people I know, this comedian is one of the funniest. OH13
Note. (-) indicates a reversed keyed item.

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Appendix J
Script
Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming today to take part in my study. My name is Madeleine
Fahlbusch, and I am an undergraduate student here at Xavier University.
Today I am going to ask you to help me by participating in a study I am conducting. Today’s
study examines individuals’ perceptions of comedian’s funniness. You will all be given a flyer
that advertises a comedy show coming to campus as well as two questionnaires to carefully read
through and answer. Before we begin, I want to tell you that all of the answers you give today
will be anonymous, as your name will not appear anywhere on your answer sheets. So, please
answer as honestly as you can. Do you have any questions so far?
Okay, we are ready to get started. The first form I am handing out is an informed consent. Please
read through the consent form carefully and, if you agree to participate in this study, please turn
the form over when you’re ready to move on (you do NOTneed to sign this form). Please do not
put your name on this form or any form you complete today. You will be given a copy of the
form to take home if you want one.
(PASS OUT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FORM)
Is everyone ready to move on? Great. Now you are receiving a demographic information
questionnaire. This questionnaire asks you to indicate your sex, class year, and age. Remember,
your responses are anonymous; your name is not, and will not be, associated with your data.
When you have completed the demographic form, please turn the form over so I know when you
are ready to move on.

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Is everyone done with the demographic information questionnaire? Good. I am now going to
hand out the comedy show flyer. Please read through the information on the flyer very carefully.
(PASS OUT FLYERS — EITHER NON-OVERWEIGHT FEMALE, NON-OVERWEIGHT
MALE, OVERWEIGHT FEMALE, OR OVERWEIGHT MALE CONDITIONS)
Has everyone had a chance to review the flyer? Good. I am now going to hand out two
questionnaires. Please read through the directions carefully and answer as honestly as you can.
There are no right or wrong answers, we are only interested in your opinion. You are able to re-
examine the comedy show flyer as you complete the questionnaires. When you are done, please
flip the flyer and both questionnaires over so I know you are ready to move on.
(PASS OUT QUESTIONNAIRE -- OTHER HUMOR ORIENTATION & SOCIAL
ATTRACTION)
Is everyone done with the questionnaire? Good. You are now done with the study. Please leave
the questionnaires on your desk and I will come around and collect them after you leave. Before
you leave, however, I need to briefly go over some additional information with you.
(PASS OUT & READ THE DEBRIEFING FORM)
Thank you again for participating in this study and have a good rest of the day.
(Distribute participation slips; record and submit participation record so that credit can be
assigned)
Appendix K
Demographic Information

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Gender (circle one): Male Female Prefer Not to Respond
Age: _______ Prefer Not to Respond
Year in School:
First Year Second Year Third Year Fourth Year Prefer Not to Respond

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Results
To test the hypothesis that overweight female comedians would be perceived as less
funny than non-overweight or male comedians, a 2 (Gender of Comedian) x 2 (Weight of
Comedian) between-subjects ANOVA was conducted. The main effect of Gender of Comedian
was significant, F( 1 , 121 ) = 4.21 , p = .04, revealing that female comedians (M = 3.58, SD =
.89 ) were perceived as funnier than male comedians (M = 3.23, SD = .97 ). The main effect of
Weight of the Comedian was not significant, F( 1 , 121 ) = .87 , p = .35, revealing that
overweight comedians (M = 3.50 , SD = 1.01 ) were not perceived as more or less funny than
average weight comedians (M = 3.33 , SD = .88 ). The interaction between Gender of Comedian
and Weight of Comedian was not significant, F( 1 , 121 ) = .30 , p = .59.
To test the hypothesis that overweight female comedians would be perceived as less
likable than non-overweight or male comedians, a 2 (Gender of Comedian) x 2 (Weight of
Comedian) between-subjects ANOVA was conducted. The main effect of Gender of Comedian
was not significant, F( 1 , 121 ) = .16 , p = .69, revealing that male comedians (M = 3.15 , SD =
.78 ) were not perceived as more or less likable than female comedians (M = 3.22 , SD = 1.10 ).
The main effect of Weight of the Comedian was also not significant, F( 1 , 121 ) = .33 , p = .57,
revealing that overweight comedians (M = 3.24 , SD = .78 ) were not perceived as more or less
likable than average weight comedians (M = 3.13 , SD = 1.11 ). The interaction between Gender
of Comedian and Weight of Comedian was not significant, F( 1 , 121 ) = .19 , p = .66.

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Table 1
Means (and Standard Deviations) for the Interaction Between Weight of a Comedian and
Gender of a Comedian on Social Attraction
Average Overweight
Gender of Comedian
Female 3.13 3.31
Male 3.14 3.16

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Table 2
Means (and Standard Deviations) for the Interaction Between Weight of a Comedian and
Gender of a Comedian on Funniness
Average Overweight
Gender of Comedian
Female 3.55 3.61
Male 3.11 3.36
Discussion
The major purpose of the study was to test whether the weight and/or gender of a
comedian had an effect on how likable and funny they were perceived to be. Overall, the
major findings were that the weight of a comedian has no effect on how likable or funny
they are perceived to be, the gender of a comedian has no effect on how likable they are
perceived but female comedians were perceived as funnier than male comedians. There
was no effect between the interaction of a comedian’s weight and a comedian’s gender on
how likable or how funny they were perceived to be.
To put the results of the study in practical terms, it does not matter if a comedian is
overweight or average/underweight in terms of how much an audience likes them or finds
them to be funny. It also does not matter if a comedian is male or female in terms of how
much an audience likes them. It does, however, matter if a comedian is male or female in
terms of how funny an audience perceives them to be because the study found that female
comedians are funnier than male comedians. The reasoning behind the fact that weight
and gender did not play a role in how likable a comedian is perceived to be and that weight

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also did not play a role in how funny a comedian is perceived to be is the fact that for most
people, the comedians that they consider to be their favorites are characteristically very
diverse and look quite different from one another (Rozek, 2015). For example, many
people find Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Amy Schumer, and Ellen Degeneres to be very
likable and funny comedians despite the fact that they are of differing genders and body
types. Most people appreciate their favorite comedians for their unique brand of comedy
which is a factor that helps a comedian gain fame (Rozek, 2015). The reason behind the
fact that female comedians are perceived to be funnier than male comedians could be
because the study only used jokes that reflected a self-deprecating style of humor (Merrill,
1988). Perhaps society finds female comedians to be more funny when using self-
deprecating humor because they are perceived to be the weaker sex so it is viewed as
acceptable when they point out their flaws and short-comings. This does not hold true for
male comedians possibly because society still holds males to the expectation that they
should portray themselves as tough and in control. Society does not perceive male
comedians using self-deprecating humor to be as funny as female comedians using self-
deprecating humor because the humor style goes against typical gender norms so their
jokes therefore do not seem as true to an audience. The jokes that are typically found to be
most funny are jokes that have an element of truth to them (Feltmate, 2013).
A significant limitation for the study was that it was difficult to find jokes that
utilized self-deprecating humor in reference to being skinny so I was unable to select from
a lot of jokes for my skinny comedian condition simply because they just do not exist. A
suggestion for future research would be to replicate the study but instead feature jokes that
do not utilize self-deprecating humor while still making it clear what characteristics each

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comedian possessed (i.e. their weight, their gender). The reasoning is that self-deprecating
humor perhaps did not translate well on paper. The only significant result that was
achieved as that the female comedians were rated by the participants as being funnier than
the male comedians. Therefore, there might be a connection to self-deprecating humor and
the result that female comedians were rated as funnier. By not using jokes that reflect self-
deprecating humor in a future study, one could study if female comedians are still rated as
funnier than male comedians. One aspect that I would carry out differently in my study is
that I would have a male and a female record the jokes out loud for participants to listen to
so that the jokes could potentially translate better. Participants might have perceived the
self-deprecating humor as depressing as opposed to humorous when reading the jokes on
the flyers.
What I want the reader to remember from my study is that its results contrast my
original hypothesis. Being overweight and/or a female did not result in a comedian being
perceived as less funny or less likable than their average weight and male counterparts. In
fact, female comedians were perceived as more funny than male comedians. This could be
viewed optimistically because it could potentially mean that society is not as shallow
regarding their comedic preferences as might have been presumed. The study
demonstrated that gender and weight does not impact how likable a comedian was
perceived and weight does not impact how funny a comedian is perceived to be but gender
does have an impact on how funny a comedian is perceived to be because female
comedians were found to be funnier than male comedians. The study adds to the literature
because it provides more optimistic results compared to most studies involving gender and
especially weight. Instead of females or overweight individuals being perceived more

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negatively, these factors were either viewed the same as or more favorably than the other
conditions in the study. The study was important because it demonstrates that the content
of the jokes was judged more than the way the comedians looked. It also proved that
comedy is a field where females are actually viewed as more competent at their job than
males which is uncommon. The study provides researchers new information about why
humans find jokes to be funny and the degree to which is has to do with the appearance of
the comedian telling the joke and how likable they are perceived to be.

31
References
Chen, S.A. (2012). Fat Jokes in Movies: Can We Be Done With Them Now? Film.com
Dundee, M., & Tale, A. C. (2014). The Comic Visualised, or Laughing at Shallow Hal. Politics.
Feeney, N. (2013). Why Aren’t There More Women On The Top-Earning Comedians List?
Forbes.
Feltmate, D. (2013). It's Funny Because It's True? The Simpsons, Satire, and the Significance of
Religious Humor in Popular Culture. Journal of the American Academy of Religion,
lfs100.
Fouts, G., & Burggraf, K. (1999). Television situation comedies: Female body images and verbal
reinforcements. Sex roles, 40(5-6), 473-481.
Fouts, G., & Burggraf, K. (2000). Television situation comedies: Female weight, male negative
comments, and audience reactions. Sex Roles, 42(9-10), 925-932.
Freeman, J. (2012). Bullying, aggressive behaviour rampant in children’s shows: study.
CTVNews.com
Himes, S. M., & Thompson, J. K. (2007). Fat stigmatization in television shows and movies: A
content analysis. Obesity, 15(3), 712-718.
Jeffrey, T. P. (2012). 25% Fewer Men Than Women Graduate College; Obama: It’s ‘A Great
Accomplishment… For America’
Kuiper, N. A., & Leite, C. (2010). Personality impressions associated with four distinct humor
styles. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51(2), 115-122.
Lang, N. (2014). I offended Melissa McCarthy so you don’t have to. The Daily Dot.
Merrill, L. (1988). Feminist humor: Rebellious and self‐ affirming. Women's Studies: An
Interdisciplinary Journal, 15(1-3), 271-280.

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Provine, R. R. (2001). Laughter: A scientific investigation. penguin.com
Rozek, C. (2015). The gender divide in humor: How people rate the competence, influence, and
funniness of men and women by the jokes they tell and how they tell them. Wellesley
College Digital Scholarsip and Archive.
Sheppard, A. (1985). Funny women: social change and audience response to female
comedians. Empirical Studies of the Arts, 3(2), 179-195.

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