Rhetorical Analysis Of Comedian Ismo

Anthony Gerard Professor Allison Gregory English 1A 23 September 2024 The Absurdity of Ass. A word most modern Americans use in their everyday lives. However, why do we use it so often? Comedian Ismo tries to explain the various ways Americans use "ass." While Ismo explains how "ass" is used in so many ways, why do we find it funny? Is that the tone of his voice? Alternatively, is it his accent? Despite what viewers may think, we find it funny because of incongruity and cognition. Ismo skillfully uses cognition and incongruity to provoke laughter within the audience, which shows that the humor lies in both understanding the many uses of "ass" and in the unexpected absurdity of highlighting it. Comedian Ismo performs "Ass Is the Most Complicated
Without strong cognition on the topic of "ass," the audience would have no idea what he is talking about and would not find it humorous. Furthermore, Ismo also notes that "long ass.just means long" and "a long ass flight.means a long flight, but if you want to make it longer, you can add ass". Cognition is crucial in this comedic act because no joke would exist without it. Additionally, he makes sure to give his comedic act to Americans so that they understand the act. If, for example, he gave it to people in a different country who speak English but are not from the US, they would have no idea what he was talking about because they have no cognition for the comedic act to make sense. While Cognition lays the groundwork for understanding, Incongruity adds the element of surprise that enhances humor. Incongruity is another critical humor theory everyone can find in nearly everything humorous. In John Morreall's essay on contradiction, he states that "humourous amusement is a reaction to something incongruous, that is, something which does not fit our ordinary mental patterns" (225). Incongruity is the act of something so absurd that it is
Ismo highlights how "You can add ass to anything, and then it sounds a bit cooler." I just bought this blue ass shirt". Again, this is exceptionally absurd because while most Americans would find this standard, he analyzes it to the point where it sounds ridiculous, even if his audience is American. Additionally, Ismo's comedy is absurd because it challenges our expectations by analyzing a familiar word unconventionally. Without the absurdity of his skit, his audience would not find it as funny as they would have otherwise. Cognition and incongruity are essential components of humor, and Ismo's comedy act about "ass" demonstrates how they work together by providing laughter. Ismo requires that his audience has a deep understanding of language complemented by using a familiar word; he keeps the audience engaged and amused throughout the comedic act. Furthermore, his routine strikes a cord within Americans because he shows his audience something so obscene that it offers nuance to our language. Americans are so desensitized by "ass" that we do not even realize the multivalence of the word, which furthers the incongruity of the