Poem

The Life of a Food Critic

The table unstable, the waiter unable
The salad a pallid affair
A soup like a scoop of gelatinous poop
And smack in the middle: A hair

The stew I review with just two words: It blew!
But to list all the faults one by one
Is something I’ll do the next time I’ll pass through
Until then I love you, your son

DEFINITION OF A JOKE: “A joke conveys information in a funny way.”

Content of the Joke: That a son reviews his mothers or fathers cooking.

In a funny way: I would say so yes.

MECHANISM OF A JOKE: “A joke adds information in a way that triggers a sudden cognitive shift.”

The information that triggers the cognitive shift are the words “I love you, your son” which suddenly shifts our assumption from the Food Critic reviewing food at a restaurant to him reviewing food at his parents home.

THE FORMULA: “Disappoint an assumption by fulfilling a second assumption in a surprising and satisfying way.”

Assumption: The title and the following poem naturally creates the assumption that the Food Critic is reviewing food at a professional establishment.

A second assumption is fulfilled: Yes. That he is using his skills at his parents home.

Surprising: Yes, because no man in his right mind would use the skills of a Food Critic at his parents home.

Satisfying: Yes. Because it fulfills all three conditions (Humorous, Harmless, Compatible)

Humorous: Yes. Because

1) Behavior (The tendency to laugh or to grin): Yes.
2) Cognitive (Something is intellectually perceived as “funny”): Yes.
3) Emotional (The positive feeling of amusement): Yes.

Harmless: Yes. Because it is a poem and thus nobody thinks it’s real. And it’s not your parents.

Harmless according to the Benign Violation Theory: The norm of how and where a Food Critic works is violated but because it is presented in a comical and comically exaggerated form, it is viewed as harmless.

Is it still in a way compatible with the original assumption: Yes. A Food Critic can evaluate his parents cooking that way.

Unexpected Change that turns out to be benign: Yes. The words “I love you, your son” trigger an unexpected change from restaurant to home but that change is ultimately benign.