So, here’s a bad idea about writing: “Excellent Academic Writing Must Be Berious”, as claims English Professor Michael Theune in his article of the same title (Theune 181) in the book Bad Ideas About Writing. This is a bad idea because it neglects to consider the value of actually using humor for composition development.  An always serious classroom often leads to a dull and unstimulating classroom, unpleasant for both the student and the teacher.

creative commons/stovak

          A better idea about writing is that humor can be used cleverly for excellence in academic writing. Humor engages a bored mind and energizes in a way that enlivens a dull classroom. In her article, “ Not Just a Humorous Text: Humor as Text in the Writing Class”, language arts professor Nina Murakami lauds the use of humor as “both a motivator and a reward”.  Greater effort to improve writing is naturally evoked, as students strive to reap the reward of laughter. It’s a positive feedback loop! Success as exhibited by laughter is a stimulant to produce more of the same! (Murakami 40). Additionally, such skills as creative and critical thinking, purpose, style, and audience, evolve through working with humor, becoming a valuable part of the writing tool kit for other classes.

Get Smart!

            Ann and Don Nilsen, educators and co-founders of the International Society for Humor Studies, along with Don and Marie Donaldson, state in their article “Humor For Developing Thinking Skills”, that “Humor, whether it’s being analyzed, used, or created-forces people’s minds into modes of thinking that are investigative, seeking, grasping . . .” Working with humor calls upon an especially motivated drive for mental pursuits.  Wanting to know, wanting to understand, and employing strategies to get there is like a game, like figuring out an answer to a puzzle that students are keen to comprehend. (Nilsen et al. 63). (Indeed, gamers in particular might find this sport of academic endeavor quite tantalizing!)

          Nilsen et al. go on to make the point that creative thinking takes greater effort. Interpreting information demands each person to judge for themselves what is meant, often needing to discern meaning without it being specifically laid out. Thinking creatively therefore is a highly stimulative mental process, calling upon students to dig deeper, searching for meaning not always obvious in the joke! (Nilsen et al. 65).

Energize!

           Used skillfully, humor is engaging and energizing, and a bored student is not as likely to become engaged as an energized one, so humor becomes a powerful tool for the younger writer. As Theune notes, “it must be recognized that humor simply tends towards the irreverent, and that that is, frankly, ideal. . .empowered young writers . . .  can feed off of transgression”.  It is part of human development that young adolescents/adults are questioning and challenging the status quo.  Comedy most often deals with contemporary culture, and youth and popular culture go together! Using that energy source and channeling it towards productive academic work is a good idea! The more connections made between life inside and outside the classroom the better, creating deeper and longer lasting development in the young student (Theune 185).

          Murakami adds her praise for the “level of effort, avid listening, and thoughtful response that I don’t often see during the writing process of other assignments”.  This is a notable indication, as educators must be keen to continually monitor and adjust their methods. When something works, pay attention! (Murakami 39).  Case in point: Theune refers to professor Bev Hogue who used humor writing in a nonfiction course.  The overall quality perked right up, being “polished, sophisticated, and often very funny.” It was still clear the papers were indeed research papers, but do to the “adventurous [nature] . . .a very few created final papers approaching art.”  What a treat!  In this instance, humor writing had become a key into artistic expression and talent that otherwise may have gone undiscovered. There is enough effort in higher education towards all things of a serious nature, including writing. Why not place effort  towards balancing the heavy with the humorous? (Theune 185). 

Smile!

          The classroom vitality is palpable, observes Murakami, as she has “seen the student’s enthusiasm, and heard students’ true voices, not only in their writing, but in their classroom interaction as well . . . all with smile on their faces”. How lovely! What a gift it becomes for everyone to see how students develop and trust their true voices.  The atmosphere of the classroom is invigorated and invigorating. Drudgery is lifted, laughter lightens the air, mind expansion ensues, and animated exchange is achieved. Students are actively learning and doing so “with smiles on their faces” (Murakami 40).

          The combination of energy and skill development in the classroom focused on humor easily produces collaboration, another key attribute of the writing process. As Murakami illustrates, “students often take pleasure out of sharing and working on their humorous writing with their classmates, making them more open to the idea of the writing process as well as the sense of community that is vital to the writing class”. The positive experience of working on humorous writing within the classroom with others, enables students to see how that sort of collaboration builds community. Revising and feedback take on fresh enthusiasm and meaning. Feeling a sense of community relaxes the atmosphere in the classroom, providing a space that feels safer to take risks, more open, and therefore more life-giving (Murakami 39).

creative commons/ken whytock

          Truly, it is a bad idea to limit academia to the sphere of the serious. Who wants to be serious all the time? Who wants to be in an environment that is serious all the time? Who wants to think of education as being excellent only if it is serious? Alternatively, who wants to take a writing class that has the reputation of being fun while developing valuable skills?! Who wants to join the revolution and help turn this bad idea on its head and revitalize the composition classroom?

References

Murakami, N. “Not Just a Humorous Text: Humor as Text in the Writing Class.” Teaching English in the Two Year College, 34(1), 2006, pp. 32-40. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/220963371?accountd=11226

Nilsen, Alleen, et al. “Humor For Developing Thinking Skills.” ETC: A Review of General Semantics, vol. 44, no. 1, 1987, pp. 63–75. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/42579317.

Theune, M. (2017). “Excellent Academic Writing Must Be Serious.” In C.E. Ball and D.M. Loewe (Eds.), Bad Ideas About Writing. (pp. 82-87). Morgantown, WV: Digital Publishing Institute. https://textbooks.lib.wvu.edu/badideas/badideasaboutwriting-book.pdf