Do Men and Women Laugh About Different Types of Humor? A Comparison of Satire, Sentimental Comedy, and Comic Wit in Print Ads

Abstract

Recent meta-analytical findings in advertising research contradict the assumption of gender-specific humor evaluations. This article suggests an interaction effect of gender and humor type to resolve the contradiction. An online experiment with 266 respondents examines how gender moderates the influence of different humor types in print ads on advertising effectiveness. The study reveals gender-free as well as gender-specific effects. Both men and women favor comic wit over sentimental comedy and satire. However, male respondents evaluate satire humor more positively than female respondents, whereas women prefer sentimental comedy more than men do. Based on the results, implications for practitioners and researchers are derived.