'Men are more humorous due to testosterone'

LONDON: Have you ever wondered why male comedians outnumber female ones? Comedy comes more naturally to men than women, says a professor. And he's not joking.

But it's nothing to do with a man's funny bone . . . it's all down to testosterone.

Professor Sam Shuster, of Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, believes humour develops from aggression caused by hormones such as testosterone, which is found predominantly in men.

Professor Shuster got on his unicycle to see how the genders reacted to his "amusing" hobby. Women tended to make encouraging, praising comments, while men jeered and tried to make jokes.

The most aggressive were young men, the professor told the British Medical Journal. Previous findings have suggested women and men differ in how they use and appreciate humour. Women tend to tell fewer jokes and male comedians outnumber female ones.

Research suggests men are more likely to use humour aggressively, by making others the butt of the joke. Professor Shuster believes humour develops from aggression caused by hormones such as testosterone. He documented the reaction of over 400 people to his unicycling antics.

Almost half responded verbally more being men, 75 per cent of whom attempted comedy, shouting something like: "Lost your wheel?" Very few women made comic or snide remarks.

"The idea that unicycling is intrinsically funny does not explain the findings," said Professor Shuster.

The simplest explanation, the professor was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail newspaper, is the effect of male hormones. The initial aggressive intent seems to become channelled into a more subtle and sophisticated joke, so the aggression is hidden by wit.