One question about a joke is, how well is the strangeness of the situation resolved? At 'The New Yorker', we retain a lot of incongruity, tapping the playful part of the mind - Monty Python-type stuff. We also try to use humor as a vehicle for communicating ideas. Not editorial comment, but observation.

In this quote, Robert Mankoff explores how jokes function by focusing on the strangeness of a situation. He posits that the success of a joke often depends on how well that strangeness is either explained or left unresolved. Humor, in his view, arises from unexpectedness or absurdity, and the enjoyment comes from how the audience perceives this incongruity. The challenge, then, is balancing the resolution of the odd situation in a way that engages the mind, making it both funny and insightful.

Mankoff draws inspiration from the absurd and playful style of comedy found in Monty Python. Known for their bizarre and surreal humor, Monty Python’s work often celebrates the incongruity of situations, where the combination of unrelated ideas leads to comedic brilliance. Mankoff appreciates how such humor can stimulate the playful part of the mind, where logic takes a backseat, and the absurd becomes entertaining. At The New Yorker, he aimed to achieve a similar effect, using humor that challenges conventional thinking.

The quote also reflects Mankoff’s approach to humor as a tool for communication. He emphasizes that their humor at The New Yorker is not about providing editorial comment or pushing a political agenda, but rather about observation. The goal is to make people laugh while encouraging them to reflect on life and its oddities. The humor serves as a vehicle to highlight the quirky and absurd aspects of the world, without directly instructing the audience on how to think about them.

Ultimately, Mankoff’s approach suggests that humor, when used effectively, can be a powerful means of presenting ideas and observations. By focusing on the strangeness of situations and retaining incongruity, Mankoff and The New Yorker contributed to a form of humor that is both playful and thought-provoking, inviting readers to engage with the world around them in a more creative and reflective way.