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But Mr. Mankoff says it is possible to organize cartoons not just
chronologically but taxonomically, in relation to four vectors:
caption, image and two values he terms "real" and "unreal."

"Most gags consist of an unreal image with a rather ordinary caption,"
he said, citing a cartoon that shows a party guest speaking to a
desperate woman on a window ledge, referring to a man on the same
ledge around the corner. The guest says, cheerfully, "There's someone
I'd like you to meet." Or, Mr. Mankoff went on, they might couple a
commonplace image (married couple) with an outlandish caption ("I'm
sorry, dear. I wasn't listening. Could you repeat what you've said
since we've been married?").

His two other categories are "surreal" and "slice of life." The first
applies when both caption and image are unusual (crocodiles talking
about eating their young); slice of life applies when neither caption
nor image is unusual, just funny.
		-- "Toonology: Scientists Try to Find Out What's
		   So Funny About Humor", by Glenn Collins, The New
		   York Times, 2004-09-28
		   http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/science/28toon.html

Tags: science humor scientists cartoon gags vectors newyorktimes marriedcouple crocodiles sliceoflife nytimes windowledge desperatewoman