Self-deprecation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Self-deprecation is a form of humor in which a comedian makes jokes about himself, his shortcomings, or his culture. The boundaries for this kind of humor are often more relaxed. For example, whereas a Jewish joke told by a non-Jew may be considered anti-semitic and offensive, the same joke told by a Jew may be taken in good humor. The ability to laugh at oneself and the absurdities in one's own culture is often considered a good character trait. Many comedians use self-deprecating humor to avoid seeming arrogant or pompous, and to help the audience identify with them. A number of comics, including Conan O'Brien, Phyllis Diller, Rodney Dangerfield and, later in his career, George Burns built their entire acts around their own perceived unattractiveness, weight, age and/or lack of appeal to the opposite sex. Another prime example of self-deprecation (based on personal shortcomings and continuing failure at life in general) was the character Al Bundy from the long-running Fox sitcom Married with Children, played by Ed O'Neill.

Some grammarians argue that this should be called self-depreciation, as the original sense of deprecate was not to belittle, but to deplore.^[1] The term self-deprecation, however, is well established in popular usage.

Self-deprecation can also be used to better oneself in social situations.^[2]