The role of humor here is very interesting. It's a signal of intelligence, for one thing, which establishes dominance hierarchies. Those hierarchies, as I see it, are based on aggression, access, perceived authority, assertiveness/confidence, social skills, and other factors, I'm sure (like post count and even type). Aggression comes out in humor, debate, and isolation-techniques, which can either be done behind someone's back by gathering peer support (gossip -- traditionally female aggression) or by humiliating them in front of their peers. Then of course humor can bond people together and settle their differences. Sometimes this can be done assertively, sometimes submissively. I have some people in mind for both.
Also, I think this should be a subforum in Gen Psych.
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