lllHumor in Action!
Using Humor in
Developing the
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Learning in Action!
A Cross-disciplinary Problem-Based
Learning Environment for Entrepreneurship
Miss Magnolia: Characterization and
Cultural Humor in the Workplace
Test Version 1.0
(A Work in Progress)
R. Wilburn Clouse, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Miss Magnolia: Characterization and
Cultural Humor in the Workplace
Storyline by Clark
Introduction
This case study is based on a humorous event that occurred at a faculty gathering in a
small, catholic school for a year-end luncheon. The background and setting will be
described followed by an account of the event. An assessment of the effects of this event
on the people involved will be made. Then, the role of humor in this event will be
analyzed and correlated to some pertinent theories and concepts in the literature on
humor.
Sacred Heart School, a Catholic elementary school in northwest Mississippi, had been a
presence in this rural community for fifty years. The school had long-standing ties to the
community. Several faculty members had been on staff for over thirty years. The school
had a long, rich history with many strong traditions – as an organization, it was “set in its
ways.” There was very little turnover of staff members, and even fewer changes in the
position of principal.
It was 1997, the end of a transitional year at Sacred Heart School. Ms. Kathleen Fuccaro
had just completed her first year as the new principal of Sacred Heart School. She had
come to Mississippi from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and during the previous year, she had
experienced a number of new things. Among these new experiences was immersion in
the cultural environment of the South that was very different in many ways than her
experiences in Pittsburgh. At the end of her first year as principal, the faculty gathered in
a nearby restaurant for a luncheon given by the parent club in appreciation for the work
of the faculty and staff. Toward the end of the meal, an unexpected visitor joined the
group.
Miss Magnolia (otherwise known to the staff as Mrs. Horton, a long-time faculty member
with a flair for humor) entered the restaurant in her usual manner - loud, flamboyant and
talkative. She appeared to be a typical, older, southern lady dressed in her Sunday best –
a floral print dress with a sweater thrown over her shoulders. Her accessories were patent
leather pumps with a matching patent leather purse, white gloves and a hat with netting
that covered the top portion of her face. Her spectacles rested on the tip of her nose. She
also carried a large bag with some surprises inside. As she talked, she used familiar
southern phrases and spoke with an accent that was unquestionably from the “Deep
South.” After she entered the room, all eyes were quickly on her as she stopped at each
table to speak to the people in attendance, sometimes in a flattering way and sometimes
in a way that was not as friendly. But at all times, she maintained an attitude of southern
charm, a contagious laugh and a volume level that could be heard by all in attendance.
She quickly announced that she had heard Ms. Fuccaro was the new principal of Sacred
Heart School. Since she had not had the opportunity to meet her, she wanted to make her
acquaintance and express her congratulations on a successful year. And, then she
continued to talk about Ms. Fuccaro, making some comments about her personal, social
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and family life in the style of a friendly “roasting.” Ms. Fuccaro was smiling, and at
times laughing at Miss Magnolia’s comments, and her mannerisms. Then Miss Magnolia
proceeded to have a question and answer game. Whoever could answer the question
correctly received a prize each time, which was taken from her large bag of surprises.
And, every prize was related in some way to her favorite flower, the magnolia.
Coincidentally, the questions asked in this game could be answered by only one person in
the room – Ms. Fuccaro. So, Ms. Fuccaro correctly answered all the questions, won all
the prizes and became the object of Miss Magnolia’s exorbitant praise and admiration.
Miss Magnolia excused herself, and left the room accompanied by laughter and applause,
with Ms. Fuccaro participating wholeheartedly in the fun.
Effects of Humor
This use of humor in the workplace had some positive effects on the faculty and staff
members. The spoof of southern mannerisms and language in Miss Magnolia’s character
was very comical. The humor appeared to cross cultural lines in way that amused
everyone, in spite of their cultural backgrounds. Ms. Fuccaro, the primary focus of the
humor, seemed to enjoy the humor. There were no outward signs that Ms. Fuccaro
reacted negatively to this “roasting” episode. However, this use of humor had the
potential for being interpreted as creating humor at the expense of another person’s
feelings. As U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde so eloquently expressed it, “There’s an art to the
perfumed ice pick” (Hyde, interview, 1998). There was no indication that anyone had
negative feelings toward this episode.
Another effect was a subtle change in the attitudes of the faculty toward their principal.
Since, by nature, Ms. Fuccaro was reserved and quiet, the staff members saw a side of her
personality that they had not often, perhaps had never, seen. Laughing together created a
friendly mood, a sense of camaraderie. Clouse (1993) and Williams (1994) identified this
role of humor in the workplace as a socializing agent.
Gliner (1993) identifies humor styles and techniques that can be used to create original
humor. Some of the adjectives describing humor styles that fit the example of Miss
Magnolia are: playful, zany, absurd, ambiguous and irreverent. Techniques used by this
character to create original humor included: characterization, exaggeration, surprise, wit,
ludicrous comment, dialect, impersonation, sight gag, and spoof.
Berger (1987) classifies humor theory into four groups: superiority, incongruent,
psychoanalytical and cognitive. Miss Magnolia made effective use of incongruency in her
humor style. According to Clouse (1997), humor theorists Kant and Bergson claim that
“humor is expressed when incongruity exists between what an individual expects and
what one gets.” Miss Magnolia’s appearance led one to believe that she was a
grandmotherly type – quiet, kind, nurturing and gentle. But her behavior was quite
different. She was often loud, critical, irreverent and harsh.
Miss Magnolia effectively employed two different techniques identified by Yarwood in
his study of humor in the United States Congress (1999): storytellers and quipsters.
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According to Yarwood’s interpretation, a storyteller uses stories to evoke humorous
responses. These stories are known before they are told, they are often repeated, and they
are planned ahead of time. On the other hand, quipsters make use of humor by
interacting with the situation they are in, assessing information on the spot, and
responding spontaneously in a humorous way. Miss Magnolia, the storyteller, prepared
her presentation by researching the history of the person who is the focus, and by
planning topics to be addressed. But as she interacted with people in the group, Miss
Magnolia, the quipster, responded to comments or audience reactions with spontaneous
remarks, often earning the biggest laughs with these interactions.
The humor of Miss Magnolia had positive effects on the mood of the faculty group that
day. And, if imitation is the greatest form of flattery, Miss Magnolia received the
ultimate flattery at an in-service session the following year. At the meeting of all the
employees of the larger Sacred Heart Southern Missions organization, the executive
director walked into a meeting as none other than – Miss Magnolia!
References
Berger, A.A. (Ed.). (1987). Anatomy of a Joke. Journal of Communication, 23(3), 113115.
Clouse, R.W. (1993). Humor: It’s Impact on School Culture – Paper presented at the 11th
Annual International Conference of Humor and Laughter, The International Society for
Humor Studies, Dulibois European Center, Miami University, Centre Universitaire De
Luxembourg, Lyeu De Garcons De Luxembourg.
Clouse, R.W. (1997). Intuitive Humor: An Entrepreneurship Style. Presentation at
International Meeting of the Academy of Entrepreneurs. Maui, Hawaii.
Gliner, A. (1993). Being Funny: A VERY Short Course. Silver Spring, MD Humor
Communication Co. (class handout)
Hyde, H. (U.S. Representative). Taped telephone interview, January 13, 1998.
Williams, R.A. (1994). The Perceived Value of Administration Humor to School
Climate. Dissertation Abstracts International.
Yarwood, D. L. (1999). When Congress Makes a Joke. Paper written at University of
Missouri – Columbia.
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