Misuse of Humor                                                                                                 by M. Jordan       The following is the sequence of steps for teaching this and all the fallacies.  It makes use of many scripts as examples of fallacies in action.  This works well for illustrating the fallacies both from the teacher as presenter and the student as learner.  Of course, teachers can adapt the information in whatever way suits them.                            Step 1:  Presenting the basic information                                 Give the name of the fallacy, its definition, and an example.  Have students write down all three of  these in their notes.                                 Fallacy:  Misuse of Humor                                 Definition: to divert attention from the question by injecting humor                                 Example:                                 Banker:  I've noticed you've had some credit problems in your past.                                  Loan applicant:  Oh, that wife of mine: she thinks she's Will Rogers.                                  Banker:  How's that?                                  Applicant:  She never met a sale she didn't like.                                  Banker:  (roaring with laughter)  Okay, well, here's the money.  Enjoy.                            Step 2:  Developing the concept in greater detail Though the scenario above is obviously ludicrous, it demonstrates one important element of this technique:  the victim must understand and appreciate the joke for it to work.  Ask students if they have ever heard of Will Rogers?  Ask them if they know what famous quote of his is being butchered ("I joked  about every prominent man in my lifetime, but I never met one I didn't like.") It also requires that the intended victim will, in his mirth, forget the question.  It's quite possible for  the humor to "take" but not the diversionary tactic involved.  Ask students to change the Banker's response to show that he may enjoy the joke, but he's no fool.  After they've finished, you might use the following  as one way it could be go.                                                              2nd example:                                 Banker:  (roaring with laughter)  Man, that's a good one.  Tell your wife that Will Rogers' actual quote was "I never met a                                                   man I didn't like" and then tell her today you met one that she definitely isn't going to like...me.  Loan denied. Ask students to debate whether or not the Banker is now guilty of a misuse of humor.  Some will say yes because he's now making a joke.  Others will respond that his joke isn't a diversion form the original  question but is, in fact, his way of letting the applicant know he's not falling for that fallacy.                            Step 3:  Analysis To understand a fallacy, one must understand the question (point being debated) before one can see the illogical response to it.  Ask students to identify the essential question in the above scenario (It is: What  is the reason for these past credit problems.)                            Step 4:  Enhancement Tell students that the animal kingdom provides good metaphors for this fallacy.  Ask them for an  example of an animal defense mechanism that tries to hide from attack by creating a cloud or fog.  (Ex. The octopus squirts ink and the skunk creates a malodorous environment.)  Now ask students to analyze  these metaphors by answering these three questions:  What is the essential question at stake?  What is the  diversionary tactic?  Who is the victim of the fallacy? (The essential question is the impending attack of  another animal.  The ink and the smell are the diversion, the use of humor.  The victim of the fallacy is the attacking animal.)                            Step 5:  Application/Assignment 1. Have students read "Great Moments in Bad Logic: Let Reagan Be Reagan."  Follow with a   discussion about whether or not it is ever appropriate to divert attention from an issue. 2. Have students write a followup question which would have accepted Reagan humor but not  permitted him to escape the question. 3. Have students develop short scenarios such as the one above where a person is being asked a  tough question and they try to escape it by creating a cloud of laughter.