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If a man walks into a bar….who laughs? Liberals or conservatives? Dan Ariely, a psychologist at Duke University, and Elisabeth Malin, a student at Mount Holyoke College, looked into just that question in a recent Boston study. The two came up with a list of 22 jokes – conventional, quirky, corny, clever, etc. – and tracked the reactions of about 300 people who were asked to rate the jokes on a scale of 1 (not funny at all) to 9 (hilarious).

Many people, researchers included, assumed that liberals, who have a reputation for being open-minded and flexible, would find more of the jokes humorous. The joke was on them, because as it turned out, conservatives enjoyed humor more across all categories. Why was the hypothesis wrong?

One explanation is that conservatives may be less open to new experiences, but their rigidity in politics does not necessarily correlate to other personality traits, like their funny bone.

Another is the argument that conservatives are generally happier than liberals. Conservatives rationalize social inequalities, accept the world as it is, and are happy to live in it, while liberals are not satisfied with actual society and feel they cannot be happy until something changes.

Finally, it could all come down to conscious or subconscious biases. In a recent New York Times article John Tierney suggests that the stereotype of conservatives being stiff and humorless is an inaccurate one created by social scientists who live in a world made up almost exclusively of liberals. Social scientists attempt to be objective, but they are coming from a faculty lounge where Democrats outnumber Republicans, on average, at least seven to one. The talk around the water cooler could lead to biases that are reflected in the portrait of conservatives portrayed by social scientists.

Full story here:
http://www.popsci.com/rachel-durfee/article/2008-11/knock-knock-whos-funnier-republicans-or-democrat s

This study, I think, is entirely accurate.

"Liberals" (in the sense of the term used in the study) tend to be, in my experience, rather dour and puritannical people.

Almost by definition they are quick to take offense - that's half of what being a "liberal" seems to be about - so it's not surprising they don't find jokes as funny, since the whole point of humor is to be unconventional or offensive on some level.
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"You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else."

- Churchill

There was another study recently that said that Liberals are more angry than conservatives, but then after eight years of Bush/Cheney plunging the world into the new dark ages, I think we have every right to be. Smile

If you did it again right now, I am sure you would find the pundits at "the Corner" far angrier than those elsewhere.

The J-Los and Steins will be venting for a while yet I suspect.
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“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”

Marcus Aurelius

The difference between liberals and us fiscal conservatives with some semi liberal social views is we realized Bush was a joke early on and didn't take him near as seriously as the liberals. And just to be clear, not thinking he is the cause of everything that ails mankind isn't the same as being a "supporter". The hysteria from the anti-Bushites over the past 8 years has been highly entertaining and may be why this study shows the cons as being jolly folk. The joke on liberals is the joke known as Bush was apparently more appealing than the tight asses known as Gore and Kerry.

You need to pull your undies out the crack of your ass and unclench the cheeks a little MM, saying Bush plunged the world into the dark ages is too much like a "drama queen" for you. Revies got that one covered. (If you go commando, keep it to yourself) The world has seen war and economic upheaval in the last 8 years. Gee, we've never seen that shit before..... Wink

Anyway, there might be righties who pop a vein or two in the coming years, but I'm thinking the more middle of the road folks are willing to give the messiah a chance to prove the promised "change" isn't limited to his skin color. I realise it is very early in the game, but so far all we have is recycled disciples of blow job Bill and the anticipation of more of "the first black........ (fill in the appropriate job title). Personally I like his choice of chief of staff, hope Colin Powell is in the cabinet and can't believe he wants Clinton as Sec of state. I also like the optimistic mood that seems to be permeating from the US, too bad investors seem to be less than excited at the messiahs prospects. Obama is in a win win situation. If things improve and he isn't a total dufus he retains messiah status, if he doesn't,there are enough people on the left to ensure all the blame stays with the man who apparently sent us back to the dark ages. Sounds like an astute politician, so wheres the change? Wink

-SM-
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" Tell 'em were coming....and hell is coming with us ! "

Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone

I think the differnces in sense of humor is directly attributable over who's in power. That and the truly dogmatic on both sides have no sense of humor at all.
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18-1...Looks good on them!!!

Neither Kerry nor Gore could beat Bush, despite both having huge advantages at their respective times...it says a lot about the (lack of) quality of each respective candidate.

The Democrats found a guy capable of winning and guess what...he won.
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"You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else."

- Churchill

I work with a lot of those "liberal" social scientists..... and let me tell you, they are the LAMEST people on the face of the earth. Nothing is funny. Everything is politically incorrect. There is another guy here who is somewhat conservative (more accurately, he has common sense) and we joke all the time. The rest of the people look at us as if we're crazy. It's fun. I figure, there will always be social and political problems. Might as well enjoy the ride and laugh at it as I go through.
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I run a student organization.. You can call me El Presidente.

I work with a lot of Texans and their sense of humor is definitely not as developed as the average Canadians'. Jokes sail over their heads at an amazing clip and they are easily offended. They do like race jokes though.
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18-1...Looks good on them!!!

Here's one for you to tell them Mene
What word that starts with an N and ends with an R would you not like to call a black guy.

Neighbor.
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Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable: John F Kennedy

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