Paper 1 Sample Response (Humor That Works)

            Humor That Works, a company interested in helping foster happier workplaces, created an infographic titled “Humor At Work” calling for a change in the culture of these places and spaces.  Office jobs are often seen as monotonous and repetitive for people working typical 9-5 jobs.  These workplaces can be too formal, with workers afraid to break decorum.  However, this infographic promotes the use of humor to its audience, who are older, mostly college educated graduates, and likely American office workers.  The infographic promotes its message through it bright colors, text, comedic elements, and statistics.

            Comedic elements are sprinkled throughout the infographic so that audiences are able to see examples of humor that the infographic talks about or feel the effects themselves.   For example, as a measure of how many calories laughing can burn, it lists out aerobic exercise, dancing, and milking a cow.  An element that is often seen in real life where certain activities are compared to others as a benchmark is slightly altered here for the purpose of the text: to amuse readers.  The first two examples of exercise and dancing are reasonable.  However, “15 minutes of milking a cow” is meant to be an absurd measurement – one that very few office workers will know.  In addition to this humor, next to the many serious statistics and health benefits, the creators provide a small comedic break for readers as they see the light-heartedness of such humor.  This is seen on the milk cartoon that says “Missing Hugh Moore.”  The milk cartoon with a missing person on it is an object that Americans will likely be familiar with.  The personification of humor into a missing person called “Hugh Moore” is a play on words and is once again meant to show an example of humor as well as to show the benefits of it.  By showing the reader the light-heartedness of humor, it further pushes its purpose of promoting humor in a serious environment. 

            Although the infographic is light-hearted, it still shows the effects of the current office culture on Americans.  All the people represented on the infographic look unhappy, with their faces downturned or crying.  These people are likely meant to represent how these office workers are feeling internally.  By creating a connection where the audience can relate to how these characters are feeling “stressed” or “unsatisfied,” it makes the audience more likely to take advice from the infographic since the infographic seems to understand their struggle.  Similarly, the statistics above all of the characters’ heads are likely meant to show these workers that they are not alone in these feelings and that their workmates and colleagues feel the same way as well.  By doing this, the infographic also creates a connection or shared experience for the audience with each other, making it more likely that they will bond and becomes more casual.  This would encourage the use of humor with others in the workplace and successfully achieve the infographic’s goal. 

            The statistics used throughout the infographic give a knowledgeable tone to it and appeals to the audience’s ethos and logos.  Statistics are used over 15 times in this infographic.  Many are used to show to the reader that they have a shared experience with their workmates (as mentioned before).  However, many others are used to show the benefits of using humor in the first place.  It lists out several health benefits from the body and the mind, as well as many professional reasons.  The use of these many statistics – although not backed by any kind of source – build credibility for the infographic since it makes it seem well-researched and trustworthy.  The use of these many statistics also makes the infographic seems more logical, making the reader inclined to follow it.  Overall, this helps achieve the purpose – to use humor in the workplace.

            Finally, the infographic follows a question-answer layout, where it lists or raises concerns from the reader pre-emptively before then addressing and resolving them.  This is done twice in the text.  The infographic first shows the large percentage of Americans who are unsatisfied with their job.  This is likely to encourage the audience think about “why is this happening and what can we do to minimize this?”  The infographic then immediately follows this with its answer- humor!  The following section is clearly addressing the statistic and question since the words used clearly link back.  For example, that statistic “Humor increases happiness by up to 42%” is meant to answer the question from “47% of American struggle to stay happy.”  This is connected to workers being “unsatisfied” and “stressed.”  This is also seen with the second half of the infographic where the creators raise valid concerns about the use of humor, such as “will others approve?” or “But is it truly valuable in the workplace?”  It consequently answers this with statistics saying “97% of professionals” and “98% of CEOs” would approve and 81% say it would make them more productive which does make humor valuable in the workplace.  By immediately addressing and answering concerns in the infographic, it is likely to reduce criticism that workers may have against using humor in a professional setting and as such, it increases support for the message.

            Overall, the different features mentioned aim to encourage the use of humor by workers in a professional setting and to encourage them to creates a more enjoyable space for where they do their job.  However, the infographic provides a simple solution that does not address the root of why office workers in America are so unhappy or unsatisfied.  Although humor may make the office a fun and lively environment, it does not change the root cause which may vary from office to office, such as workers being overworked, burnt out, underpaid, or stuck in the same lousy job for decades.  The solution that the infographic provides is a band-aid to the issue of the mental health and financial well-being of workers in America.

Word count: 990 words