Comic Relief

Hey there,

We have been reading the book, Comic Relief, by Robert Mankoff. So far I have been shocked at how many people "back in the day" thought of humor as an evil thing.  For example, John Chrysoston describes a scenario that started with humor and ended in murder.  It's a little bit dramatic if you ask me.  Yes, I agree that sometimes laughter comes from the faults of others but I don't agree that thats the only form of laughter.  Laughter can come from all sorts of things.  You can laugh at yourself, you can laugh at a joke, or you can just simply laugh at a situation.  Personally I believe that laughter is  the best medicine.  Having a good laugh with friends over dinner can 100% make my day.  I also believe that having the ability to laugh at yourself is one of the most endearing qualities of a person.  It shows that they don't take themselves or life too seriously and I admire that.

One of the most interesting things that I have learned so far is that humor developed as a "play signal".  It definitely clicked with me because if you take the time to think about it, we all do have a way of showing others that we are meaning something in a joking manner.  Like stated in the book, we start the story off with "have you heard the one about...?" We subconsciously send off cues that indicate to others that we are "just joking" as to not offend anyone.  I had never thought of it like this and I thought it was a very interesting point!

Til next time, 
Caroline

When humor goes, there goes civilization.
Erma Bombeck