Reader's Digest Unravels the Mystery in the September Issue

When it comes to comedy, sex matters. That's what the editors of Reader's Digest reveal in the September issue of the magazine, devoted to humor, on newsstands today.

It's no secret that guys get a kick out of physical humor while women prefer verbal barbs. But it's not because women lack the humor gene. Scientific studies confirm that men and women process funny things in very different ways.

Reader's Digest spoke to Regina Barreca, a professor of English literature and feminist theory at the University of Connecticut, who has made a career of studying men and women and humor. She describes the differences in three points:

  -- Women don't like crude humor. "We don't do eye-poking, head slamming
     humor. No woman has gone up to another woman and said, 'Pull my
     finger.'
  -- Women don't tell jokes - they tell stories.
  -- Women don't enjoy humor that makes fun of others' physical
     shortcomings. By contrast, men make fun of just about everyone.

In a recent study conducted by a Stanford University psychiatrist, even though men and women were shown the same cartoons, the analytical region of women's brains was more active than the men's, suggesting women studied the cartoons more. When they found the cartoon amusing, the reward region of their brains lit up noticeably more than the men's.

Culled from expert interviews and research, Reader's Digest found the funniest movies for him and her. The top five favorites among men: Blazing Saddles, Caddyshack, Office Space, Trading Spaces and Meet the Parents. And for women: When Harry Met Sally..., 9 to 5, Annie Hall, Clueless and Tootsie.

In conjunction with the September humor issue, a new laugh channel has just launched on rd.com offering thousands of jokes, cartoons, funny photos and videos.

Reader's Digest has published more than 100,000 jokes from reader contributors and has received more than 20,000,000 humor submissions at a rate of 35,000 per month. "Laughter, the Best Medicine" is now the most read humor department and today receives more than 10,000 submissions per month. Reader's Digest has paid out more than $25,000,000 for humor submissions.

About Reader's Digest

Reader's Digest reaches about 80 million readers worldwide each month. The magazine celebrates ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and delivers a compelling mix of humor, personal service and other human-interest stories. Reader's Digest is published in 21 languages and 50 editions worldwide.

Source: Reader's Digest

Web site: http://www.rd.com/