What was Benjamin Franklin's sense of humor like?

Franklin's sense of humor was satirical, energetic, sometimes raunchy, and somehow managed to mix cynicism with optimism. read more

Franklin's sense of humor was satirical, energetic, sometimes raunchy, and somehow managed to mix cynicism with optimism. Some examples: He mocked rules of social etiquette and his own health when his gout and age prevented him from standing up straight as etiquette demanded. read more

In the great tradition of American humor, the title of "First American Humorist" rightfully belongs to Benjamin Franklin. He was the beginning of a long line of writers who created a uniquely American form of humor filled with clever wit, folksy wisdom, and a generous portion of irreverence. read more

Franklin's humor is so different from that which students may be used to that they are sometimes baffled when teachers speak glowingly of the humor suffusing the Autobiography. While certainly present, the humor is marked by understatement and irony, modes of speech most effective when elaborate social rituals define "polite" conversational gambits. read more