Laughing And Sense Of Humor Essay

Norman Cousins said, “Laughter is a powerful way to tap positive emotions" (Moss 1). Humor is studied by many researchers in sociology, psychology, art, literature, and medicine. When people wonder whether humor aids in areas other than health, a treasure trove of possible benefits to the learning or educational community is opened up. Humor can be used as a tool to promote learning.Research speaks to the many benefits of humor in healing, to its benefits in the classroom or boardroom, from reducing stress of students or employees, to boosting self-esteem and feelings of camaraderie. Additionally, studies show that those who use humor to convey a message are often more favorably perceived. Humor helps deliver the presenter's message to

One can see that culture does have a role to play in comedy. In highly religious societies, there’s limit to what jokes are to be made. Some would interpret certain jokes as “expensive jokes”. Also, whether or not someone or a group of people accept a joke or appreciate the effort behind it depends on exposure and their

Modern society allows humorists to touch upon offensive topics without receiving much criticism. As Alain de Botton claimed in his 2004 book, Status Anxiety, humorists’ role is not merely to entertain but “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” De Botton’s argument proves legitimate. Many humorists, such as cartoonists and television hosts, decide to use their humor as a tool to prove an idea or express a belief that cannot be voiced candidly in public.

    The form of communication created by the television is not only a part of how our modern society communicates, but is has changed public discourse to the point that it has completely redefined it, argued Neil Postman in his convincing book Amusing Ourselves to Death. He viewed this as very harmful, and additionally so because our society is ignorant of it as they quickly becomes engulfed in its epistemology. When faced with the question about whether the television shapes or reflects culture, Postman pointed out that it is no longer applicable because "television has gradually become our culture" (79). What kind of culture is this? Postman warned that it is one in which we

Those factors include one’s social, educational, and economic background, as well as age, minority status and ideology.

In the BBC article “How comedy makes us better people” Mary O’Hara claims comedy holds a very relevant place in not only British politics and culture, but in the entire world because it can be used to comprehend and come to terms with confusing events or tragedies, challenge the authority of our governments, and destroy bigoted states of mind. Humor continues to mystify the people who study it to this day. Why does humor play a major part in our everyday lives? What is the significance of it? O’Hara interviews experts from many different fields discussing comedy and its impact on the emotions, politics, and differing points of view. For instance, the tragedy of 9/11 had many jokes following its events because people around the world were trying to grasp why such a terrible thing

Humor can go a long way in an essay about one's past experiences. It can help relay a point across while keeping the reader interested in the story. It can help everything flow together and keep the mood of the story light and airy. In Kellie Young's essay, the undercurrent, humor is consistent throughout the essay. The main source of humor involves stories about her mother and how she pokes fun at how her mom was always overprotective. Different types of humor such as hyperboles, realistic images and ironic situations are used and it adds to the overall essay and helps get the point across. Even though her mom badgers her with what she feels is right for Young, her words stick with her and it helps guide her throughout her life.

Comedy is an integral part of our daily lives and routines. It can be as simple as telling a joke to our friends to as complicated as a political cartoon depicting a satirical image of a president committing a crime. However, according to author Alain de Botton, comedy is a conduit that is used to express ideas that society is not generally willing to propound in public. It is clear that the role of humorists is not only to humor an audience, but also to provide a channel for the expression of ideas that are not necessarily ones that we would say to the public, making their role crucial to the functionality of society.

The Secret of Seinfeld’s Humor: The significance of the Insignificant, an article written by Jorge Gracia briefly outlines what the author believes to be the origin of the humour with which the popular television show Seinfeld achieved such broad based success. A show that embraced the ordinary of everyday life, while atypically avoiding the mainstay of violence and sex of most of today’s popular visual media and culture. Gracia (19??) begins his article by posing the question “how, can a show that deals with ordinary, everyday occurrences have such wide appeal”? This is a very general question that could be analysed in any number of ways. The author however,

As non-traditional students, we talk about gratitude and opportunity. We talk about how it’s never too late, all the while feeling our years around our ankles like lead weights.

Comedy, especially satirical comedy, plays an interesting and unique role in our popular culture, as it not only pokes fun at ridiculous and, often, hypocritical aspects within our society, but also helps open up conversations on matters that are often too sensitive and/or controversial to talk about in “normal,” non-comedic settings. In my opinion, there is no better example of this satirical comedic approach within our popular culture than the highly successful mockumentary sitcom, “The Office.” Within this show, the rather satirical approach to sensitive topics, such as race, gender, and sexuality (just to name a few), are consistently and creatively explored, especially within the episode, “Body Language.” However, while many may argue that the jokes made in comedic shows shouldn’t be taken seriously, as they are done so for comedic purposes, I argue that we must still critically analyze the jokes made, especially when referring to sensitive social identities, since these jokes still have immense cultural power capable of not only reinforcing certain stereotypes, but also normalizing them, which can prove to be detrimental to the social progress that we have made as a country thus far.

During this study researchers Rod A. Martin and Herbert M Lefcourt accomplished three similar but separate studies. The first study was on how much humor reduces stress in life situations among college students. The second was on the application of a humorous situation and how much it would relate to their use of humor in “real life” situations. The third and final study was a follow up from study one and more accurately assessed the participants use of humor in stressful situations.

Manbearpig: Half Man, Half Bear, Half Pig, but All Global Warming? South Park is a popular animated comedy series written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. While the episodes of South Park are always humorous on the surface, each show usually has a deeper, much more profound meaning and moral. One episode of South Park entitled Manbearpig, named after the monster in the episode, has a particularly potent deeper meaning. On the surface, the episode pokes fun at monster stories, politics, and specifically Al Gore. Deeper down, however, this monster story can be read as a national allegory alluding to the dangers of global warming, the problems with the politics behind global warming, and the eventual doom we will all face

Provide supporting evidence from the texts to support your responses to these questions. All answers should be in the form of complete sentences.

Imagine a vast concert hall filled with people. The audience excitedly clamor in anticipation for the main star of this event. The event they paid so much money for, cleared up time in their schedule for, spent time getting to the event for. As the lights dim, the spotlight shines on the center stage. Then an average person emerges on the stage with a thousand eyes’ on him. He only has with a microphone in his hand. Just a typical person, with a normal gait and normal sense of fashion. However, after speaking a few words in the microphone, the crowd bursts into a cacophony of laughter. No matter how ordinary or extraordinary the person, entertainment through humor is universal. Utilizing humor, an extensive language of amusement, to open perspectives and challenge what is conceived right or wrong can be impactful- if done correctly. Dave Sedaris accomplishes that goal when he uses humor to illustrate his dilemma because of his identity. Despite being an accomplished successful comedian, author, radio show host, certain people look down at him as just a homosexual freak. Rather than gravely addressing his opposition, Sedaris utilizes a jovial yet relatable anecdote called “Chicken in a Henhouse”. Incorporating ideas from Ardian Bardon’s “The Philosophy of Humor”, specifically, the three theories of humor: superiority theory, incongruity theory and relief theory, Sedaris argues that the American public stereotypes homosexuals as pedophiles and ,as a result, they feel