Inside Jokes

By way of an analytical induction based on material collected for over four years in university residences in France, the United States and Canada, this article puts forward a definition of an inside joke. These jokes are the result of the observation of previous interactions. The author shows here that they are always triggered by an absurd situation defused by initiates’ laughter in situ or a posteriori, and are then activated and reactivated by initiates in the presence of an audience. Initiates are defined here as individuals present during an absurd situation and who explicitly take part in defusing it through laughter. Their status as initiates allows them to repeat the joke before an audience, to explicitly express their understanding of the joke (if it is related by another initiate), and to negotiate the inclusion of another member. This article also distinguishes between mockery (excluding laughter) and “teasing” (integrating laughter) in inside jokes. Initiates are not only members of the group who know the origin of the past reference, but also those who shared the emotional experience of defusing a situation through laughter.