How does a practical joke turn an important person into a comic victim?

A practical joke transforms an important person into a comic victim by abruptly shifting the observer's perception of them from a figure of authority or consequence to an object governed by physical laws.1

When a dignitary is subjected to a prank—such as having a chair pulled away—their status is instantly debunked. The observer no longer sees a person of high standing, but rather an inert body subject to gravity. This process highlights the contrast between the individual's lofty aspirations and their "all-too-solid flesh," effectively degrading the human to a mechanism.1

In this context, the victim is reduced to a state where their dignity is stripped away, and they are perceived as a physical object rather than a person of influence. This "mechanical encrusted on the living" is a core element of situational humor, where the victim's sudden loss of control serves to deflate hollow pretense and expose the triviality underlying human authority.1