I have developed my own system of classification for humour. I’ve outlined seven different categories for jokes, each describing the essential mechanism by which a joke derives its humour.

Also, I’d like to say I am aware that I am very likely the only person in the world to whom this is at all interesting.

Nevertheless, here goes.

Pun - This one’s obvious; a joke based around the ambiguity of language. A term can have multiple meanings and these meanings are played off against each other. Example one. Example two.

Exaggeration - Use of gross exaggeration for comedic effect. Not one of the loftier forms of comedy. Example.

Contextual – Taking something out of its own context and putting it into one in which it doesn’t belong. Juxtaposing the two settings against one another. Example one. Example two.

Meta – In which the rules of a system are applied to itself. This includes fourth wall gags. Example.

Observational – Based on an observation made of the real world. The joke could mimic the way people actually behave or offer an insight. Example one. Example two.

Misdirection – An expectation is established and then confounded at the end. The audience is intentionally mislead. Example one. Example two.

Inappropriate behaviour – A person’s actions or words are grossly out of line with what is conventionally considered appropriate in such a situation. Example one. Example two.

So those are my seven categories. I’ve been going through quite a lot of webcomics and it’s held for everything I’ve read so far (though I haven’t yet considered how it may work with other comedy mediums). I’d be really interested to see what people think about it.

Also I’m at odds as to whether I should include “Zany; anything bizarre or unexplainable.” I love zany humour, but I’m not sure if something is funny if it is only zany. I think it has to be zany and observational, or zany and misdirection. To me pure zany would be White Ninja, and I’m afraid I just don’t find anything about that funny. The other category I’m thinking I may have to add is Holocaust jokes (ooh, that’s right, I went there).

But again, let me know what you think. In time I’ll go through the archives and apply the relevant category to each comic as a tag.