11.20.2010

Ha-Ha-Ha-Humour!



On the days when even a simple smile is difficult, laughter is the clear answer to all life’s problems. It may be difficult; when I am upset or worried, adding laughter to my life seems like the hardest task imaginable. But then it happens. Something so abnormal, unexpected and totally out of character tips me over the edge of insanity. Suddenly, I am laughing uncontrollably, my eyes squinty with mirth and tears, and shaking with relief’s uncontrollable tremors.
It’s over as quickly as it started; one second too long, and I am suddenly left struggling to ignore the tugging smile. But I feel infinitely better, about everything.

For me, humour is all about the stress relief. Sure, I laugh when I’m not stressed, and I always seek out something that can add a smile to my day, regardless of my mood. But on those days when the world is ending, I will try doubly hard to find something humorous. Sometimes I wonder if it’s more of a distraction than anything else; maybe I just need something that will allow me to refocus my attention on a lighter topic, something with less weight and consequence. That’s where shows like Glee, the Big Bang Theory, and the Office come in handy. They may not be the most educated or educating shows on the tube. At times, they may be politically and socially incorrect, but sometimes they are SO correct in their portrayal of life and culture that we are forced to laugh at something we would normally study with seriousness.

That is where the strength of humour truly lies. The laugh-out-loud quirks and jokes are important, but the underlying current of seriousness through irony is what adds the “punch” to every punch-line. Because of its light tone, it can provide a satirical straight-shot to the heart of every societal problem, without the obstacles of political correctiveness or etiquette.
Even when we do not realize the true implications of humour, we are subtly influenced by its irony, so that we begin to find the irony in our own lives. Yes, humour has a serious thread, but the top-layer is usually what allows us to see the world with fresh eyes. We can then begin to sift through the layers of our own lives with the understanding that this irony and humour exists in the most unlikely of places. 

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