There Are Nine Different Types Of Humor. Which One Are You?

August 25, 2024

If you ask most people what they’re looking for in a partner ― whether romantic or platonic ― a good sense of humor is usually at the top of the list. But “sense of humor” is highly subjective, and there are a myriad of types of humor. Some go over well, and some don’t.

A good fart joke, for instance, can easily divide opinions in the humor stakes (how can people not like fart jokes?), while wit or wordplay also aren’t everyone’s idea of pun (sorry).

In fact, sharing a similar sense of humor is so important when it comes to finding the right partner, data scientists at eHarmony have conducted research in the hope of incorporating the results into the site’s algorithm to ensure better profile matches in future.

According to lead data scientist Jonathan Beber, the research kicked off after an analysis which focused on married couples in the first four years of marriage.

“We asked them about laughter with their partner: did they laugh at the same things? Share a similar humor? Do you laugh at things with your friends but not your partner?,” Beber told HuffPost Australia.

“What we found was married couples who shared a similar style of humor tended to have happier and more successful relationships in their first few years of marriage, and we wanted to dive deeper into that.”

From there, the team spent two months “scouring clips on YouTube in the name of research” to ascertain how many different sorts of humor there actually were. Their answer? Nine.

Which ones speak to you?

1. Physical

Also referred to as slapstick, this style of humor involves physicality. It can be everything from clowns to mimes to funny facial expressions to someone falling over. Or, in other words, the entire audience of ‘Australia’s Funniest Home Videos’.

2. Self-deprecating

This kind of humor is a favourite among stand-up comedians, in which they basically make themselves the butt of a joke and are rewarded with laughs.

It’s also a style that has been further popularised by the internet, particularly with memes.

3. Surreal

As suggested by the name, this style of humor can be pretty weird, featuring illogical events, absurd situations or nonsensical themes. Or in other words, just plain silly. The best example of this would have to be ‘Monty Python’... enjoy.

4. Improvisational

Comedy without a plan. Ever seen ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ or ‘Thank God You’re Here?’ That’s what we’re talking about.

The fact you know the person is making up the jokes on the spot makes this style of comedy even funnier (and impressive, if they do it well).

5. Wit-Wordplay

Usually a play on words, this humor involves twisting language around with humorous results. (And yes, puns do fall into this category. Dads everywhere, rejoice.)

6. Topical

Humor based on current events or trends. ‘Saturday Night Live’ would be a prime example of this, as would most sketch comedy shows or late-night talk shows. This sort of humor requires having a thorough knowledge of what’s going on in the world (news, elections, pop culture etc.) and the ability to put a humorous spin on it.

Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Rick Perry & Steve Bannon walk into a bar & the bar is the earth & it overheats & we all die.

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) June 1, 2017

7. Observational

The ability to poke fun at everyday life.

8. Bodily

Ah, yes, the home of the old toilet joke. This is everything to do with farts or other bodily functions. This is a divisive type of humor that tends to be popular with men and teenagers.

9. Dark

This style of humor usually involves some dark, depressing underlying themes, but throws some comical or unusual situations in this setting.

So, given the current political climate, you can refer back to joke #7. Or, you know. This.

It might come as a surprise that in a trial of 200 people, eHarmony found dark humor to be the least popular while physical humor came out on top.

In saying that, educated people tended to find physical humor less funny than wit and wordplay, while older people found everything less funny across the board.

But what to make of all this data?

eHarmony hopes to factor the nine factors of humor into their algorithm in the next six months or so. Here’s hoping it helps you find your fellow weirdo.

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to having well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

We cannot do this without your help. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qcHFn6eoq6RjsLC5jp6lraqpZMGpsdGeZJqqlWK7qrrEZpuinpaav6a602arsqiVqHqwsoyhrKanpad6uLTInJ9mp56aeqK%2BxGawqK2Po6x3fY9xbm9pYpqBo3yYcnCdamBtgaeuw3A%3D