We live in such a serious world. Crime, poverty, human suffering, war, disaster, end of the world theories, loss, death, etc etc etc. I firmly believe that it is because of this that people do not laugh as often as they should, or at least never seem to. People rushing around day to day; I guess that's why they call it the "human race." Think back and ask yourself, "When was the last time you actually just stopped to laugh?" Or actually LOL?
If you look closely, the expression of happiness is everywhere, even behind the more serious of issues. It's just whether we take part or not that makes the difference. Myself, I try to laugh at least once everyday. My fix: Michael Scott from The Office or Kramer from an old rerun of Seinfeld. If you were to actually look up the meaning of laughter, one might suggest that laughter "helps humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and provide an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group—it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. When you laugh, 90% of the time others laugh because they either agree with you (or are laughing at you). These can both be equally funny at any given time or situation.
I got my parents tickets to the Second City for Christmas, hoping that they would enjoy what I cleverly coined "the gift of laughter." My sister also tagged along, rounding out the group that was set for a much needed night out. After having a long week, with only a seldom laugh here and there, all of my emotion was released on Saturday night. If you haven't been to the Second City, you have to take in their live theatre. By the end of the night, my sides hurt so bad from laughing for nearly two hours straight. It was the facial expressions, the sexual innuendos, the constant barrage of inappropriateness and just the writing in general that makes this place a comedy heaven. These people are absolutely hilarious. If you ever need a night out of just laughter, this is the place for you.
Life is a serious thing, I get that. However, laughter makes the world we live in so much more livable. I think about how lucky we are for the culture we live in, to laugh and not be judged or deemed "inappropriate to society" and for the many times that we laugh, even at the most awkward times. But as a species, we are also pretty sick minded. You Tube any video about "man falling down stairs" or "lady getting hit with broom." Maybe even "guy getting slapped in the face," and 10 times out of 10, you can't help but at least smile. Why is it that we find these things so funny? Is it the shock factor in that "I can't believe that just happened" moment? What about swear words? Who told everyone that it was okay to laugh at swear words? Who made it funny? Was it because it was so taboo?
Why is being "dumb" funny? I think what makes shows like The Trailer Park Boys overnight success stories. They are actually brilliant at being dumb. Great acting is the source for their humor. Anyone of us can be a jackass like them, but it's being good at it, so to speak, that makes for humor in it's truest form. The movies, the television, the morning radio shows, yes even the everyday labelled "idiots" walking among us; it all brings joy and laughter into our lives. It's funny how laughter goes in revolutions. The classic water cooler joke is easily replaced by the funny email forward, which was replaced by the You Tube video. The silent Charlie Chaplin mishaps was replaced by the married couple sitcom scenarios, followed by the bugs bunny and tweety show sound effects laughter, taken over by general shows about "nothing," followed by human pain with America's Funniest Home Video's as the source for laughter.
I am able to draw a simple conclusion: Idiocracy makes the world go round. We feed off stupidity like it's a drug. The dumber they are, the more times we'll slap our knee. It's messed up, but it's undeniable. Yes, it certainly is a funny world we live in. There is no escape from it. So go ahead; burst into laughter! The sound is contagious. Make the joke, watch the movie, or tape it for all your friends to see. Accept it, live it, and think about what a greater world we would live in if we could just laugh a little bit more everyday.
No comments:
Post a Comment