So McGraw created the Humor Research Lab, or HURL, to discover what it is about humor that people find funny. McGraw and others collectively came up with the Benign Violation Theory to explain the conundrum behind humor. By informing his audience about HURL and the Benign Violation Theory, McGraw builds his appeal to ethos. The audience is now aware that not only has McGraw investigated what makes things funny, but that he and others have proven a theory to back up their investigations. This appeal to ethos validates the rest of McGraw’s speech and opens the door to his strongest
So McGraw created the Humor Research Lab, or HURL, to discover what it is about humor that people find funny. McGraw and others collectively came up with the Benign Violation Theory to explain the conundrum behind humor. By informing his audience about HURL and the Benign Violation Theory, McGraw builds his appeal to ethos. The audience is now aware that not only has McGraw investigated what makes things funny, but that he and others have proven a theory to back up their investigations. This appeal to ethos validates the rest of McGraw’s speech and opens the door to his strongest