In humor, a setup creates a scenario, induces assumptions, and guides an observer’s attention towards an expectation. The clash is created when either the assumption or the expectation is suddenly switched by a special concluding statement known as a punchline.

For humor categories like wordplay, setups are generally required to bring about the clash. But not every example of humor has a setup. When all information is presented as once, as with a simple humorous photos of a girl sticking out her tongue, there’s no need for a buildup, no assumptions to invalidate, and no expectations to twist. Even complex humor forms like ridicule and pranks do not necessarily have setups. Humor requires only a sense/nonsense clash.

Earlier we looked at how pushing the punchline to the last moment improves dynamic clash strength. This is one way the structure of the setup drives humor quality.

Setup also explain why humor can still be funny even when it’s not new. A setup you respond to guides your thinking down certain paths regardless of how many times you’ve experienced it before. Timeless humor never gets old. If the setup is fragile where your reaction is dismissal along the lines of “I’ve heard this before”, then your mind drifts in a distraction direction and you are less likely to experience a clash.

All setups share the need to produce sharply defined assumptions and expectations and to minimize distractions. Additionally, Clash Theory divides setups into three major types depending on how the clash is brought about: 1) nonsense only with sense unmentioned, 2) sense and nonsense presented at the same time, and 3) sense that suddenly switches to become nonsense. The book Why Funny Is Funny goes into great detail on these main methods plus additional methods seen less frequently.

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