Understanding the 'Ins' and 'Outs' of Comedy: What Goes In…
Why do so many jokes and gags refer to what we breathe, drink, and eat?
Updated December 31, 2025 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley
This is Part 1 of a series.
Over the past few decades, and the past four-plus years especially, I’ve made mental notes on tens of thousands of examples of amusing content, from sitcoms, movies, standup routines, online videos, physical play, practical jokes, amusing signs—virtually every way in which laughter is inspired. I was reminded of a certain recurring pattern while working on my next book, a deep dive into the humor of the Seinfeld series. That is, why do we so often laugh at the process of placing various things into our bodies, as well as expelling various things out of our bodies? And, more importantly, how might the Mutual Vulnerability Theory account for such a pattern?
As the name suggests, the Mutual Vulnerability Theory promotes the central premise that amusement is the desire to affirm a sense of shared, or mutual, vulnerability. Although at lower intensities it can be expressed with smiles, 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 first post linked here .)
So, can we see some connection with these basic “animal” functions we all perform daily with the concept of vulnerability? I’ll focus this blog post on some of the things we bring into our bodies.
It should come as no surprise that we all need to take certain substances into our bodies. We require reasonably fresh air on a regular basis, we need fluids of some variety, and we must absorb certain nutrients to maintain our physical structure and provide us with energy to perform critical functions. When we satisfy such needs in ways we consider normal, we rarely, if ever, consider that funny. When we fail to meet our needs such that our health, life, or reproductive ability is placed at serious risk, that would constitute a deficiency, and there’s typically nothing amusing about that either. But when there is a minor interruption, or the process is flawed or precarious in some way, that’s when we can perceive something as representing a vulnerability. So, how might this manifest itself in ways that solicit laughter?
Let’s consider air. In one of Seinfeld’s gags , the character of Elaine had to retrieve an important book manuscript left in Jerry’s apartment, but it was being fumigated for fleas. Her desperate search while holding her breath brought about several bouts of audience laughter. They didn’t worry excessively about her health because Kramer had already spent an hour and a half in there without knowing the dangers, and showed no obvious sign of distress.
In another scene with a similar theme, George’s future in-laws were treated to a horse-and-carriage ride with Kramer, only to learn that the horse, Rusty, was being fed canned ravioli, something the equine digestive system is not equipped to handle. So toxic was the horse’s gaseous outflow that Kramer and the couple found themselves virtually unable to breathe , if only in that moment.
A memorable moment involving drink came when Kramer tried to surreptitiously find out if Jerry’s accountant was a drug user. Meeting the man at a bar, Kramer showed his “fun” side by smoking and drinking a beer… simultaneously . It seems clear that he risked misdirecting some of his drink into his lungs, representing a health hazard. This gag was bookended by two other comedy staples—first, a smack to the head, which I’ve covered in previous posts on physical humor, and second, one of the subjects that will be covered in Part 2 of this series.
Much more common in the series were gags that involved food. George, never one to pass up a tasty treat, found himself drawn to an éclair that would have given almost all of us second thoughts. Why? It wasn’t simply because someone else had already taken a bite. It was more about its having been found in the trash . Then the humor is amplified—first, as his girlfriend’s mother catches him in the act, and again as he tells the story to Jerry and gets an earful about how disgusting his behavior was. Clearly, there is a health risk being highlighted here.
The character Newman had a noticeable fondness for foods of almost every sort. The only exception seemed to be broccoli. He and Kramer were sneaking Kenny Rogers' chicken in one episode, even though Kramer told Jerry he was trying to ruin the restaurant because its blazing red neon sign was making his apartment virtually uninhabitable. When Jerry saw Newman picking up a takeout order—with broccoli—he knew Kramer, who had convinced Jerry to switch apartments, had reversed course. Attempting to defend his friend, Newman claimed the vegetable was for him and reluctantly took a bite , only to promptly spit it out as if it were poison. This joke also involved failed deception , something discussed in my last post .
Another hilarious scene had Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine trying to revive a man who passed out for an unknown reason. They finally wondered if he might be diabetic in need of a sugar boost and tried to get him to eat a cookie…while he was unconscious . This led Kramer to insert a cookie, manipulate his jaw, and only then realize the man wouldn’t be able to swallow . Obviously, the audience recognized the futility of the exercise, which, if anything, would instead cause him to choke.
Jerry, too, had a moment when he thought he was eating a clean, unwanted pecan off a date’s dinner plate only to learn from George that she had previously place it in her mouth (to remove the dessert on which it was served) and then discarded it . Jerry’s revulsion was not appreciated by someone he was presumably willing to kiss, but it was a reaction with which, like Seinfeld’s studio audience, most of us could empathize.
In the second post of this series, I’ll reveal a few of the ways laughter can be inspired by various things expelled from the body. It’s not hard to imagine what some of these might refer to, so be forewarned.
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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.