Formula for Funny?
Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, systematized humor with the rigor of an engineer, right before he torched his legacy in a blaze of social media "honesty."
The same cartoonist who reverse-engineered jokery into a six-part formula also became a case study in self-sabotage. After dissecting the anatomy of a joke, he became the punchline.
Scott Adams’ "Six Dimensions of Comedy" combines at least two specific elements: Clever, Bizarre, Naughty, Cruel, Cute, and Recognizable. This formula built one of the most widely syndicated comic strips in history.
Adams argues that a comic needs at least two elements to earn a laugh. Think of it like mixing flavors. The right combo creates a delightful reaction.
Clever: A smart twist or unexpected problem-solving. Picture Wally timing his excuses with thunderstorms. It’s mischief wrapped in logic.
Bizarre: When the strange crashes into the everyday. Like a 7-foot-9 Mongolian herdsman fishing an iPod out of someone’s stomach. Totally bonkers, and that’s the point.
Naughty: Safe-for-work mischief that still feels a little rebellious. Think Dilbert’s "Unix programmers" comic with implied censorship.
Cruel/Mean: We laugh when the boss’s house burns down, and no one blinks. Schadenfreude lives here.
Cute: Whimsy that walks the line of ridiculous. Asok the intern with a dog snout? Absolutely.
Recognizable: The cringeworthy familiarity of failed morale-boosting meetings. Too real not to laugh.
Adams doesn’t just rely on concepts. He has go-to techniques that punch up the funny.
Juxtaposition: Set something profound next to something petty. Like comparing digestion to religious resurrection. Or showing engineers outsmarting clueless bosses.
Funny Words: Some words are just funnier. Shish kabob. Johnson. Zamboni. Waffles. The sound of the word adds its own spice.
Near Logic: Ideas that seem plausible until they’re not. Using gum and body parts to retrieve an object? Sure... until you think about it.
Exaggeration: Blow it out of proportion. A mole opening a Starbucks underground? That’s where absurdity shines.
Inappropriate Transparency: Let characters say what most of us are too polite to admit. The honesty sting. That's why it works.
Let’s test Adams’ formula by applying it to the man himself:
Example: A cartoonist who wrote books about success and persuasion shared his "honest thoughts" about race on social media. Within 48 hours, his publisher dropped him, newspapers canceled his strip, and his speaking fees evaporated. He successfully persuaded everyone that he was unemployable.
Recognizable: Public figures destroying themselves on social media
Cruel: Deserved consequences for racist statements
Clever: The irony of a "success expert" failing catastrophically
Bizarre: Choosing to torpedo a decades-long career for social media “honesty”
Scott Adams built a blueprint for laughter, then unwittingly used it to sketch his downfall.
