College Humor

Defining the College Sense of Humor

For better or for worse, much of what is deemed "college humor" is immature and/or vulgar. Photos of women flashing their breasts appear alongside videos of animal attacks and email forwards of sex jokes.

College students are poised between worlds, still a bit immature, but ready to try on more adult stances and attitudes. Perhaps this is why a student can laugh at a poop joke on Family Guy and then turn to the biting political satire of The Daily Show.

Some photos and videos posted on humor sites aren't so much jokes as moments guaranteed to inspire shocked laughter and a response like, "Dude, did you see that?" If a man lights his flatulence and subsequently bursts into flames from the waist down, college students will be passing the video evidence from computer to computer for weeks. Video sharing is especially popular with high-speed Internet access widely available on college campuses, so downloading large files is no concern.

Irony and satire are big among college students. Whether they're watching a Saved By The Bell marathon to mock the early 90's fashions and cheesy acting or the latest episode of The Simpsons, viewings can become events if not outright parties.

The unique college sense of humor can be also seen in pranks, from the basics like wrapping a toilet seat in plastic wrap to more involved efforts. Add alcohol to the mix, and it can get a little dangerous, especially if you're the one who falls asleep first.

College Humor Online

• College Humor is the biggest site in its niche. A profile of the site's founders shows the young men come at the site with a business mindset, increasing site traffic 300 percent in the first year and a half. Despite the serious intent behind their planning, the site is still rife with topless women, videos of dogs getting amorous with stuffed animals, photos of silly and poorly-worded signs, and a link to a site for breastfeeding men under the heading "Your WTF? site of the day".
• Some college humor draws on the college experience in lists and anecdotes forwarded from student to student through email. Several sites collect these humorous tidbits, like "100 Ways to Annoy Your Roommate" and "'Twas the Night Before Finals".
• The satire of The Onion is popular among college students. While claiming to be "America's finest news source" this fake newspaper serves up headlines like "Employees Still Have No Idea What's Going On After Attending Meeting" and "Postmaster General Loses Laptop; Zip-Code Data Of Millions At Risk".
• Points In Case features articles and columns from current college students who take a humorous and often cynical view of college life, education and relationships. Article titles like "Meet the Hot New Neighbors in Five Steps" and "Camping at White Trash Disneyland" give a sample of the overall mindset of the site.
• Stupid College focuses mainly on funny videos, animation, and pictures, with games and prank calls also posted. You can vote for your favorites and leave comments on any entry.
• Web comics and web cartoons also develop devoted followings of college students. They quote their favorite lines from Homestar Runner and Happy Tree Friends while eagerly awaiting the next installment.