Concepts, Exemplars, and Humor What makes this cartoon funny? One source of humor is incongruity—the juxtaposition of two concepts, especially when an unexpected similarity between the concepts is revealed (Martin, 2007). Here, the joke relies on the juxtaposition of cats and the familiar exemplar for a barbershop—the striped pole outside the door, plate glass window, and chairs and magazines for clients waiting their turn. Exemplars are often used in cartoons to communicate a situation or concept to the audience. If you didn’t share the exemplar for barbershop, you probably wouldn’t find the joke to be very funny.