The “Ins” and “Outs” of Comedy: Dealing With the Outflow
Why so many jokes and gags reference what comes out of our bodies.
Posted January 28, 2026 | Reviewed by Davia Sills
This post is the second of a two-part series.
Readers who saw my previous post will recall its focus on a recurring pattern of laughter and humor found during my deep dive into the humor of the Seinfeld series. I wondered why we tend to laugh at various things going into our bodies and tried to explain why we might be so inclined using the Mutual Vulnerability Theory of Laughter.
The Mutual Vulnerability Theory holds that amusement is fundamentally the desire to affirm a sense of shared or mutual vulnerability. Yes, at lower intensities, it can be expressed with a smile, but above a certain threshold intensity, amusement’s most definitive outward expression is that of laughter. (Newcomers can find a more complete description of the theory in my very first post linked here , and a universal definition of humor in another post here .)
So, do we see a connection between these basic “animal” functions we contend with on a regular basis and the concept of vulnerability? I believe so, and this article will cover the things that come out of our bodies.
Whether you were a fan or not, most of us who watched television sitcoms in the 1990s will remember Seinfeld as a cultural phenomenon. It was groundbreaking in so many ways, not the least of which was the degree to which it featured physical humor. There were the usual slips, falls, injuries, and illnesses, but there were also references to the many things that went into and came out of one body part or another—and, of course, the subsequent emotional and social ramifications. Many such examples will be included in my upcoming book, tentatively titled The Science of Seinfeld .
Starting at the top, so to speak, there were plenty of instances in which things expelled from the nose and mouth were used for comedic fodder. In an episode titled " The Letter," Kramer (who had earlier been hit in the head by a foul ball, hence the bandage) had reason to blow his nose. That it was a particularly loud blow, one interrupting Jerry’s dramatic reading of the aforementioned letter, was one thing. What he did with the tissue after realizing some mucous had made its way onto a nearby painting was quite another . In another episode titled "The Pick," the central storyline concerned how Jerry’s girlfriend thought she saw him pick his nose when, in fact, he had simply scratched the outside of the nostril obstructed from her view .
From the opening just below the nose, an oft-used comedy gag referred to as a “spit take.” In "The Opposite," we had one wonderfully executed by, again, Kramer during his visit to the show Live With Regis and Kathie Lee. After scoring points with the promotion of his novel coffee table book, Kramer found the drink he was given so unpalatable that he let it fly all over Kathie Lee , much to the television audience’s delight. Also from the mouth, a scene from "The Gum" involved Kramer’s attempt to prove a friend was not “insane” for wanting a “silent era” movie theatre hot dog by eating it himself. Predictably, the aftermath involved his donating offending material to the street a few seconds later , again inspiring laughter.
The holes from which some substances are released can be all but invisible yet still significant. The pores of the skin release sweat, which can be embarrassing in itself, especially when accompanied by body odor. This nearly universal trait was referenced numerous times, but none more potently than in "The Smelly Car," wherein a valet’s stench was so insidious it infected Jerry’s car—and any person unfortunate enough to sit in it— for days upon days .
Then, of course, there are the obvious emanations from just below the waist. The father of one of Jerry’s girlfriends had a bladder control issue and once left an unmistakable sign of his condition on Jerry’s couch . In "The Wife," George gets caught peeing in his health club shower. In "The Stall," Elaine finds herself finishing up in a movie theater bathroom stall with no toilet paper. And in "The Pilot, Part 2," Kramer had a very relatable problem first with the intense need to move his bowels and then, after missing his chance, a blockage that required him to resort to “ the dreaded apparatus .”
What’s going on? Why do we laugh at these sorts of physiological emancipations? What do they have to do with vulnerability?
In a word, health. Such releases either indicate poor hygiene (e.g., body odor, bad breath), which often leads to future illness, current poor health (e.g., coughing, sneezing, vomiting, constipation), and/or the threat of spreading a disease to others (e.g., through saliva, urine, flatulence, feces). These are all directly related to physical vulnerabilities, both those of the individuals exhibiting these behaviors and often others in their immediate vicinity. Even the body odor of the valet was so “mutant” as to be contagious.
These conditions subsequently represent potential emotional and social consequences as well. For people with a conscience , inadvertently coughing or sneezing on others will generate embarrassment or guilt . For their victims, feelings of disgust and aversion will come to the fore.
None of these behaviors or conditions makes one more physically or socially attractive to potential cooperators, including life partners. Invariably, there will be some drop in status. And when those involved happen to be likeable (television, movie, internet, or real-life) characters who are familiar and easy to identify with, there will be a tendency for others to express sympathetic lifting laughter as an expression of shared vulnerability.
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John Charles Simon speaks, writes, and consults on a range of topics, including laughter, humor, their origins and evolution, and the central role each plays in our lives.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.