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Playing with Mental Models
Humour in the BBC comedy series The Office
In this book, the author uses a mental-model theory of communication to investigate the acclaimed British situation comedy The Office. The approach taken is multi-disciplinary, and focuses on questions as:
What are mental models and what role do they play in communication in general, and in creating and watching The Office in particular?
Whose mental models are involved in creating and watching The Office? How do these mental models relate to each other?
How exactly do the creators of The Office and their audience engage in constructing, exchanging and coordinating mental models?
How do mental models and their comic use relate to humour and humour theories and what is the nature of play in the deployment of mental models in comedy?
The book is aimed at humour scholars from various backgrounds and at people interested in communication in general.
What are mental models and what role do they play in communication in general, and in creating and watching The Office in particular?
Whose mental models are involved in creating and watching The Office? How do these mental models relate to each other?
How exactly do the creators of The Office and their audience engage in constructing, exchanging and coordinating mental models?
How do mental models and their comic use relate to humour and humour theories and what is the nature of play in the deployment of mental models in comedy?
The book is aimed at humour scholars from various backgrounds and at people interested in communication in general.
[Topics in Humor Research, 9] 2020. xv, 301 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Published online on 12 May 2020
Published online on 12 May 2020
© John Benjamins
Table of Contents
- Preface | pp. xiii–xv
- Chapter 1. Introduction | pp. 1–20
- Chapter 2. Constructing mental models | pp. 21–48
- Chapter 3. Properties of mental models | pp. 49–68
- Chapter 4. Mental models and The Office | pp. 69–79
- Chapter 5. Humour theories and mental models (1) | pp. 81–105
- Chapter 6. Humour theories and mental models (2) | pp. 107–125
- Chapter 7. Playing with private mental models | pp. 127–166
- Chapter 8. Playing with presenting public mental models | pp. 167–196
- Chapter 9. Playing with negotiating public mental models | pp. 197–244
- Chapter 10. Character personalities | pp. 245–266
- Chapter 11. Concluding remarks | pp. 267–276
- References | pp. 277–294
- Index | pp. 295–301
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