Ellen Degeneres
A mechanism-level breakdown of 29 analyzed bits from Ellen Degeneres (2000), spanning 1 special. Every excerpt is tagged with its primary humor mechanism using the Comedy Stack framework.
- Analyzed bits
- 29
- Specials
- 1
- Active range
- 2000
- Go-to mechanism
- incongruity-resolution
How Ellen gets laughs
Distribution across the primary humor mechanisms in the analyzed set.
29 attributed excerpts
Short quoted bits used here as editorial examples of Ellen Degeneres’s mechanism-level craft. Each excerpt links to its full-transcript source.
“and nobody tries to stop you. When you get older, all of a sudden you use your imagination to keep you from doing things.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'and nobody tries to stop you.', then the trigger 'When you get older, all of a sudden you use your imagination to keep you from doing things.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Maybe they will here? just do it back to you. Just try it tomorrow..”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Maybe they will here? just do it back to you.', then the trigger 'Just try it tomorrow..' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“It’s like people, who take Ginkgo Biloba every day. If you can remember to take it every day, you DON’T NEED IT!”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'It’s like people, who take Ginkgo Biloba every day.', then the trigger 'If you can remember to take it every day, you DON’T NEED IT!' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Have no clue, what it is, they’re saying… Then I realize I am gone and I don’t know, how long I’ve been gone.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Have no clue, what it is, they’re saying… Then I realize I am gone and I', then the trigger 'don’t know, how long I’ve been gone.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“I was getting nervous, I’m gonna meet God… and just a minute, I don’t even know, how to greet God. Do I shake hands?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'I was getting nervous, I’m gonna meet God… and just a minute, I don’t even know, how to greet God.', then the trigger 'Do I shake hands?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Ultimately I’ve decided: NO, I don’t want to talk about it. It has been talked about enough… How can I even, what would I say?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Ultimately I’ve decided: NO, I don’t want to talk about it.', then the trigger 'It has been talked about enough… How can I even, what would I say?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“That is how you survive so long in the wild by mimicking things… So who needs the directions on the back of a shampoo bottle?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'That is how you survive so long in the wild by mimicking things… So who needs the', then the trigger 'directions on the back of a shampoo bottle?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Then I totally go off again, like: Is it everybody I talk to, is everybody boring, or is it me, do I have ADD?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Then I totally go off again, like: Is it everybody I talk to, is everybody boring,', then the trigger 'or is it me, do I have ADD?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“I didn’t wanna deal with the traffic and have to get into the car-pull lane.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'I didn’t wanna deal with the traffic and have to', then the trigger 'get into the car-pull lane.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“What do you mean, you are not in the mood? I don’t know, I don’t understand a lot of the stuff that people are into.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'What do you mean, you are not in the mood?', then the trigger 'I don’t know, I don’t understand a lot of the stuff that people are into.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“That’s why people are so angry and grumpy and ragefull all day long, cause their inner child has kept them up all night long..”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'That’s why people are so angry and grumpy and ragefull all day long, cause their inner', then the trigger 'child has kept them up all night long..' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“That’s to get into the car-pull lane to pass up that line. I’m pretty sure.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'That’s to get into the car-pull lane to pass up that line.', then the trigger 'I’m pretty sure.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“And it does not help matters any that I am naked.. Now, I’ll tell why that is..”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'And it does not help matters any that I am naked..', then the trigger 'Now, I’ll tell why that is..' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Constantly doing things like that… I forget people’s names all the time.. that’s a REALLY bad one for me… People I totally should know, too.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Constantly doing things like that… I forget people’s names all the time..', then the trigger 'that’s a REALLY bad one for me… People I totally should know, too.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“So they get another crack at you, to tell you, how you look. Cause you don’t have opinions of your own. That looks fabulous… Really?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'So they get another crack at you, to tell you, how you look. Cause you don’t have opinions of your own.', then the trigger 'That looks fabulous… Really?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Alright, let’s go through this again, shall we? Right… I am gonna stop you,… did you wet your hair first? You’re welcome… That’s my job.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Alright, let’s go through this again, shall we? Right… I am gonna stop you,… did you wet your hair first?', then the trigger 'You’re welcome… That’s my job.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“People always want st from you. they want money and they want more money… that’s what they ask a lot, nobody ever thanks anymore.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'People always want st from you.', then the trigger 'they want money and they want more money… that’s what they ask a lot, nobody ever thanks anymore.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Mom, dad, this is Billy… We are in love… If you don’t like st, say you don’t like it, say you disapprove of it.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Mom, dad, this is Billy… We are in love… If you don’t like st, say you', then the trigger 'don’t like it, say you disapprove of it.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Nothing going on! You might wanna check in once in a while. I know I am biting my lip, it’s to keep from laughing.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Nothing going on! You might wanna check in once in a while.', then the trigger 'I know I am biting my lip, it’s to keep from laughing.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Admit,… if you look at a spider web, that is magnificent to me… Look at a spider web and see what they can do.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Admit,… if you look at a spider web, that is magnificent to me… Look at a', then the trigger 'spider web and see what they can do.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Bye Manan… Stop it! And then you hear: “Shut up!” Who’s talking?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Bye Manan… Stop it!', then the trigger 'And then you hear: “Shut up!” Who’s talking?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Cause his picture is framed in front of the store, cause he is the manager.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Cause his picture is framed in front of the store,', then the trigger 'cause he is the manager.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“peek-a-boo is enough for them, just to make them giggle.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'peek-a-boo is enough for them, just to', then the trigger 'make them giggle.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“I was leaving, I was walking out the door, and I turned around and I said: God, I have to say I am sorry.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'I was leaving, I was walking out the door, and I turned around and I said:', then the trigger 'God, I have to say I am sorry.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“I am 16, but the point is I’ve never had diary… OK, whatever,… They think they know it all. Let me see your tongue..”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'I am 16, but the point is I’ve never had diary… OK, whatever,… They think they know it all.', then the trigger 'Let me see your tongue..' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“What seems to be the problem? I don’t know, she wants some cheese. and so he just slaps me right across the face.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'What seems to be the problem? I don’t know, she wants some cheese.', then the trigger 'and so he just slaps me right across the face.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Cause if I make that decision to get back on the stage, I thought I cannot worry, what people think about me.”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Cause if I make that decision to get back on the stage, I thought I', then the trigger 'cannot worry, what people think about me.' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Because I feel like that about the Pope like once in a while, don’t you think he throws a pair of shorts and a tank?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Because I feel like that about the Pope like once in a while, don’t you think he', then the trigger 'throws a pair of shorts and a tank?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
“Are you mocking me? Stay very very still! There comes that human! Finally, she’s gonna read that Greenpeace newsletter. Why is she rolling it up?”
Why it works (Comedy Stack analysis)
The setup points the reader toward 'Are you mocking me? Stay very very still! There comes that human! Finally, she’s gonna read that Greenpeace newsletter.', then the trigger 'Why is she rolling it up?' forces a reinterpretation. The main mechanism is incongruity-resolution.
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