C.V.

Month: October 2011

Will these cartoons be funny in other countries?

I was recently in New York as part of my Humor Code travels, and I  met Paul Noth, a cartoonist whose work appears in The New Yorker.  We talked about the types of cartoons that might have broad (even universal) appeal. He kindly agreed to a video interview: Comedy often doesn’t translate well across cultures. […]

The streak is over

I launched my blog on August 3, 2010.  Since then, I have posted 82 entries, and I have not missed a Wednesday post.  That streak is now over. Although, technically, I am posting today, I don’t have new content. If you are disappointed, please let me know. It will help to know that people care.  […]

Why are people with low self-esteem doormats?

My old friend and former roommate, Tony Hermann, is doing research on self-esteem. Recently, I asked him: Why are people with low self-esteem doormats? His answer is consistent with recent research in psychology that positives and negatives should be treated as distinct constructs and not as opposites along a single continuum. Said in a way […]

Can a Joke Prevent an Unwanted Pregnancy?

With Joel Warner. Adapted from our Wired.com post. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has a problem: Seven out of 10 pregnancies among unmarried 18-to-29-year-olds in this country are unplanned. The organization also has an unusual potential solution: comedy. Unlike the organization’s work with teens, the goal is not to get the […]