“Do you hear laughter, Ramses?” The Ten Commandments
Ramses didn’t like the idea that the other royals and former slaves of the ancient world were laughing at him. It was a taunt strong enough to set him on the chase that would eventually land all his soldiers on the bottom of the Red Sea. At least that’s how it happens in the movie. The scene, however, is plausible. Laughter has always been a two-edged sword, with the ability to both oppress people or defeat the oppressors. In the ancient world, the wrong joke at the wrong time might get you in serious trouble.
A lawyer might say, “You use humor at your peril.”
Yet, we see in history the role of the court jester, the King’s Fool, who could usually make the crowned head the target of just about any joke. This was because, either purposefully, or instinctively, court jesters provided the necessary “comic relief” to defuse tense situations, castle intrigue, and general grumblings. It allowed everyone to laugh without risk — at least most of the time.
Laughter has helped people survive through horrible situations, providing sometimes just a fleeting respite. Still, as humans, we crave laughter — for social bonding, for stress relief, for temporarily feeling in control of the unmanageable, for pain relief and so much more.
Of course, a jester could push things too far.
Nicolas “Triboulet” Ferrial was scheduled for death at least three times, each time managing to joke his way out of it.
In more recent times, comedians continue to be a source not only of mirth and entertainment but as reflections of current society — which is not always considered “funny.” The list of those who have been arrested, castigated, criticized, mocked, and shut down grows longer every year. And while “I was only joking,” is a poor excuse for something hurtful, harmful, tasteless, or cruel, the lines being crossed are never clear. In his Netflix special, 23 Hours to Kill, Jerry Seinfeld explains that certain aspects of personal relationships are “like playing chess, but the board is flowing water and all the pieces are made of smoke.” This description can apply to many situations that are hard to grasp, including the definition of “funny” and who gets to decide.
The recent physical attacks on Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle demonstrate the power of humor to invoke high emotions on both sides of the spectrum, from sheer delight to dangerous anger.
The lines between them are made of smoke, and the wind is blowing.
Stephen Colbert may have said it best. “It’s never okay to punch a comedian… If you really want to hurt a comedian, don’t laugh. That hurts way more than a punch.”
He’s right about that. No one wants to die on stage, either figuratively or literally.
Maybe the more things make us laugh and smile, the more spiritually comprehensive we are.
I like puns because they’re usually harmless. Sarcasm (‘tear flesh’) stings, at the least.
Merci.
That’s why I do Sense of Humor tests with 26 types of humor. People in a group are amazed that not everyone shares their sense of humor : )
Self-deprecation is the highest form of humor, sarcasm the lowest. Perhaps.
some would slide puns in at the bottom 🙂 and I got a new perspective on self-deprecating humor from Hannah Gadsby, in her performance of
“Nanette.” shows how wide-reaching the need for humor, and the myriad ways of expression,
Humor has an extraordinary power: just like laughter, it can make everyone who experiences or listens to it feel good. Anyone who laughs at something, managing to find a comical side in a moment of difficulty, is looking at the glass half full and is taking a first step towards a concrete, and not necessarily less conscious, approach towards solving his problems.
Of course, humor isn’t the same for everyone, and some people – can we say it? – they never even understood it. Sometimes he can be really cryptic, if not downright illegible.
Obviously there are limits, and they are all social factors, linked to who is doing the humor, who is listening, what effect you want to achieve and also the context.
The intelligence of humor lies in the ability of those who practice it to know how to modulate it correctly and appropriately.
and isn’t what is “correct and appropriate” the very crux of the humor two-edged sword? I did a lot of smiling promotion without understanding cultural connotations. Now, I speak about various cultural norms. (I might not agree with them 🙂 )
Hi, Noreen.
Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!