Comedian's IQ

[David Sklansky]

Although the following is NOT the reaon why Andy Fox's ARGUMENTS are totally fallacious, they do show that even some of his EXAMPLEs are completely (and obviously) wrong as well.

Did you know that comedians need a high IQ?
By Jack Malvern, Arts Reporter


HAVE you heard the one about the stupid comedian? No? Well, you’re not likely to. A Mensa test organised by The Times suggests that intelligence is a prerequisite for a career as a stand-up comic.
We asked 12 comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe — including Stewart Lee, who co-wrote Jerry Springer — the Opera — to sit a formal test and found that they were overwhelmingly smarter than average.


Four were automatically invited to join Mensa and three were told that they were borderline candidates who would probably gain membership after a second test. Half of the comedians were in the top 3 per cent of brainboxes in Britain and one, Natalie Haynes, was in the top 1 per cent.

On the most common scale for measuring IQ, a score of 130 or more puts a candidate in the top 2 per cent in the country. Haynes, whose show Run or Die involves a rapidly spoken monologue about an urban dystopia and parrots’ IQ, came top of the 12 with a score of 134.

Cerebral comedians often hide their intelligence behind a comedy persona, she said. Al Murray, who graduated from Cambridge University with one of the highest marks in his subject, has become a highprofile comedian with his character of the pub landlord. “It is less threatening,” Haynes said. “People are more likely to like Al Murray, pub landlord, than Alastair Murray, history graduate.”

Rob Deering, who scored 130, said that stand-up attracts geeks. “There is a train spotterish aspect of stand-up. There are so many people on the circuit who collect stamps or beer mats or whatever. I like to think I’m a rock star but I am a bit nerdy when it comes to film knowledge.”

It is unusual to find someone who does not display quick wit on the circuit, he said. “You expect a certain level of speed and wit. Every now and then you meet a comedian who isn’t keeping up with the dressing-room banter and you think: ‘Ooh, that’s unusual’.”

Caroline Garbatt, a spokeswoman for Mensa, said that writing comedy could be a way of sharpening the mind. “Comedians are exercising their brains on a daily basis,” she said. “They are not doing mundane, repetitive activities. The way they look at the world and find ways to make everything amusing requires intelligence. You only have to look at David Baddiel and the That Was the Week That Was team to see that comedy is full of intelligent people.”

Colin Cooper, senior lecturer in psychology at Queen’s University Belfast and a consultant for the BBC’s Test the Nation, said that verbal reasoning was a very good indicator of intelligence.

“One thing you do need to be a comedian is to be able to think on your feet,” he said.

[J. Stew]

That makes sense, comedians need to be sharp-witted and be able to improv. easily. This is the same mind that calculates pot odds instantly while considering many others things, which is the same mind that allows a guitarist to be creative in a solo, which is the same mind that Michael Jordan wields when he's 'in the zone', which all stem from a creative life force inherent in each of us that some call genius and some call God.

[Alex/Mugaaz]

[ QUOTE ]
That makes sense, comedians need to be sharp-witted and be able to improv. easily. This is the same mind that calculates pot odds instantly while considering many others things, which is the same mind that allows a guitarist to be creative in a solo, which is the same mind that Michael Jordan wields when he's 'in the zone', which all stem from a creative life force inherent in each of us that some call genius and some call God.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is very little correlation between speed of thinking and how smart someone is. There are super geniuses out there who are slow. You can see examples of this in chess in speed chess vs correspondence chess.

A better reason comedians are intelligent is because they are able to analyze situations to see what the background assumption /axiom is for people to react in a certain way, then make fun of it. I'm fairly sure almost all comedy is based on background assumptions people have for stupid reasons. The type of mind who finds pleasure at analyzing the background assumptions of all conclusions isn't far removed from problem solving ability.

[Jordan Olsommer]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm fairly sure almost all comedy is based on background assumptions people have for stupid reasons.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily - all a joke needs to do with regard to assumptions is violate one; it doesn't need to be an assumption held for a stupid reason.

For example, one of my favorite jokes, one that Redd Foxx used to tell:
"Two women are walking down the street, and one woman nudges the other and says 'Hey look, is that your husband coming out of the florist's? He's got a dozen roses!'
The other woman grumbles and says "Yeah...Damn, I'm gonna have to keep my legs up in the air three days for this."
And the first woman pauses for a beat and says "Why don't you just get a vase?"'

Is the assumption that makes that joke funny a stupid one to have?

[mackthefork]

........... we are not supposed to laugh.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm fairly sure almost all comedy is based on background assumptions people have for stupid reasons.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily - all a joke needs to do with regard to assumptions is violate one; it doesn't need to be an assumption held for a stupid reason.

For example, one of my favorite jokes, one that Redd Foxx used to tell:
"Two women are walking down the street, and one woman nudges the other and says 'Hey look, is that your husband coming out of the florist's? He's got a dozen roses!'
The other woman grumbles and says "Yeah...Damn, I'm gonna have to keep my legs up in the air three days for this."
And the first woman pauses for a beat and says "Why don't you just get a vase?"'

Is the assumption that makes that joke funny a stupid one to have?

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
This deaf mute strolls into a chemist’s shop to buy a packet of condoms. Unfortunately, the mute cannot see any of his required brand on the shelves, and the chemist, unable to decipher sign language, fails to understand what the man wants. Frustrated, the deaf mute decides to take drastic action: he unzips his trousers and drops his cock on the counter, before placing a £5 note next to it. Nodding, the chemist unzips his own trousers, performs the same manoeuvres as the mute, then picks up both notes and stuffs them in his pocket. Exasperated, the deaf mute begins to curse the chemist with a wild gesturing of his arms ‘Sorry,’ the chemist says, shrugging his shoulders. ‘But if you can’t afford to lose, you shouldn’t gamble.’

[/ QUOTE ]

Mack

[xniNja]

You only need 130+ to be top 2%??

[ QUOTE ]
You only need 130+ to be top 2%??

[/ QUOTE ]
On standardised, timed tests taken in a testing room, such as the army or a Mensa test.

Internet doesn't count [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

And yes, ave. IQ is 100, std. deviation is 15, you do the math.

[Spaded]

[ QUOTE ]
You only need 130+ to be top 2%??

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Aye. IQ follows a bell curve. The curve falls fast at around 90 and 110, making (i think) 90 to 95% of the population within 90-110. Mitch Hedburg must have been 150+

[FNHinVA]

It differs slightly by test. The Stanford Binet test requirement is 132 while the Wechsler is 130.

Mensa accepts many different test types. Their requirements are here.

[housenuts]

[ QUOTE ]
You only need 130+ to be top 2%??

[/ QUOTE ]

have you seen the people they interview from the south on tv recently?