Humor takes great and complex concepts, bringing them down to not only a manageable level, but presents sometimes difficult subjects so they not only retain their poignancy and brevity, but also makes it enjoyable as well as memorable. It is designed to make us laugh, but often makes us think, reflect, and sometimes heal us as well. My household is filled with sarcastic poking-fun at even the most somber of topics. Bad news is always presented with a unique dry wit I have come to know and love. My mother recently had to go to the hospital, because her doctor informed her there may be something wrong with the bone in her jaw. The doctor informed her there was a good chance she had Paget's disease. Not the most humorous time for most families, but whenever my mother had to go to the doctors, she would inform people she's going to take her Faggot's test instead of Pagets. My mother doesn't have a prejudice bone in her body, but using humor, no matter how immature or innapropriate, somehow made it easier to deal with, both for her and for everyone else. Thankfully, the tests came back negative, but she still enjoys the look on people's faces when she can tell them she failed her Faggot's test.
There have been numerous studies concerning the use of humor as a healing tool. Laughter has been found to lower blood pressure, increase the immune system, numb pain, and release endorphins in the body. Arnie Cann, at the University of North Carolina, found that laughing in the face of grim circumstances not only offered short term benefits, but lowered long term stress in the individual. Also, it worked as a coping mechanism for those who work in grim environments, such as funeral directors, police officers, and emergency responders.
There have been many satirists, comedians, authors, poets, and musicians who used humor in their work, even when it came across subjects some will claim are unlaughable. Comedians like George Carlin, Bill Hicks, and Louis CK all often talk or talked about incredibly taboo subjects, such as murder, war, death, abortion, rape, evil, and countless others. Yet even as they talked about the most controversial or inappropriate topics, they caused waves or laughed as they shocked and surprised. Humor exists everywhere, and if you seek it out in the most trying times, it can be the only thing that holds you above water.
1 comment:
Steve, as a man who utilizes this very concept on a daily basis to stay "sane", I just want to say: I extol you and your incitful articles. I knew all along what laughter did for me, but until now, I never actually saw the effects on paper, as it were, in such vivid detail, and yet at the same time, it's not very difficult to understand. Laughter, and the idea of using it to, as you said, "cope with stressful situations", is a brilliant concept to scrutinize, and I sincerely hope I see more of this concept from you.
Post a Comment