Blog 1

     The first chapter of Comic Relief blew my mind. Before reading it, I had never really thought about humor and laughter. It blew my mind when I read that theories and ideas on laughter and humor have existed for thousands of years. I reacted with disbelief and wondered because how people can put so much thought into something that seems as light and silly as humor and laughter? I was extremely curious to learn about humor, so I carefully read the chapter in order to gain insight and information. But at the same time, the chapter was not a lot of fun to read. I was confused, because the author used a lot of words and phrases that were hard to understand. At times, I felt that I could not relate to what the author wrote and thought about humor because I could not understand his vocabulary. I responded to this confusion by rereading the sections I could not understand until I could better grasp these sections.

            I was shocked when I read how many people could be against laughter and humor. It is hard for me to imagine how one could dislike laughter. Laughter and humor bring joy to my day, especially if it started as a bad day. I could not believe that Plato said that when “one abandons himself to violent laughter, his condition provokes a violent reaction.” Basically, he said that laughter promotes aggression. I started thinking about all the times I laugh. I become joyful after laughing, not aggressive. He also said that “pleasure is mixed with malice towards those being laughed at” (Morreall 4). This made me shake my head in disagreement. I started thinking about different reasons for laughing. I admit that I sometimes laugh at people but I also laugh with others, laugh to express emotions such as relief or joy, and laugh at a humorous or ironic situation.

            One statement in this chapter had a great impact on me. It was the part that said how, when it comes to laughter and humor, Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas were some of “the few that appreciated its value.” I was saddened when I thought of how someone could not appreciate the value of laughter. Laughter makes an ordinary day in my life into a much more exciting day, and provides happiness, joy, and relief during a hard day. I love to laugh, and do not think I would be the person I am today without laughter. I began to wonder how laughter and humor were applied to the lives of people who lived before the 20^th century. I enjoyed reading the section on how humor is “playful relaxation.” St. Thomas Aquinas made interesting points about humor and “playful relaxation.” He wrote that it is important to “rest” our body and soul from the serious and busy activities of everyday life and appreciate humor and laughter. I had never considered humor and laughter as a method of rest before. But now I can see how that phrase applies to my life. Sometimes, after I have had a bad day, humor and laughter help me rest from the stress of the day, and it helps make my day a little better (Morreall 23-24).

            Robert Latta’s Relaxation Theory states that a person starts as “unrelaxed” before experiencing a cognitive shift and relaxing through laughter. Relaxation is defined as a “feature of humor.” I found his rebuttal to this theory interesting. The author said that humor is not always “relaxing,” such as when humorous insults are thrown at other people. This type of humor actually energizes the audience and increases their attention to what is being said. They are eager to hear what will be said next. This statement made me think of improv shows and “Yo’ Mama” battles which both incorporate humorous insults. Whenever I have watched these shows or heard these battles, I cannot wait to hear what will be said next. I tense up, and anticipate another moment of laughter (Morreall 24-25).

            This chapter is unlike anything I have read before. It forced me to think about my previous thoughts and ideas on humor and laughter, and to sort what I learned from this chapter into what I agree with and what I disagree with. Although I did not enjoy some parts of this chapter, I am still interested to see what I learn from reading the rest of this book.