“Lin case you hadn’t noticed, people have become Lin-fatuated with the Lin-spiring rags-to-riches story of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. He’s a regular Linternet phenomenon!” begins a story on msnbc.com’s “The Body Odd.”
The appeal of puns such as the one’s inspired by Lin’e name may be that they’re fun to create, and they can seem almost addictive because they have clever elements and insights to them. But not everyone likes them.
“Puns are considered the lowest form of humor — a reason why speakers say, ‘no pun intended,’ denying responsibility for their spontaneous e-joke-ulation,” said Robert Provine, professor of psychology.
The story, “Our Lin-sane attraction to terrible puns, explained,” appeared on the site on February 24.
Tags: CAHSS, Psychology
