Play Nice

Play Nice

Humor is a pretty tricky thing.  When I think of humor, I immediately associate it with happiness, as something most definitely positive, something that everyone can enjoy.  However, with certain types of humor, satire being one of them, it becomes rather impossible to make everyone happy.  Such a notion is attainable when reading Salmon Rushdie’s satirical novel East, West, where irony, wit, and the unexpected are mixed together in various short stories.  Through my experiences with humor, I have learned that along with enjoyment, there is often someone or something which has to pay for it.  For this reason, I believe that humor does indeed have unwritten, but sensible boundaries. 

            There are many different ways in which one can be humorous.  Additionally, there are many different levels at which one can be humorous.  To my belief, humor is indeed most humorous when there is a sense of originality, the unexpected, something which has never been thought of before.  I compare humor to music, throughout the years there have been so many different songs, melodies, notes, types of music, and yet music is as strong as ever.  People like new things, they get bored with repetition.  Because of its characteristics (wit, sarcasm, unexpectedness) satire never gets old.  Fundamentally, as time goes on and new people inhabit the earth, there is always going to be someone or something to make fun of.  In his third short story, “The Prophet’s Hair”, Rushdie uses a strong dose of irony to interest and amuse the reader.  In summary, the father of a successful normally laid back Islamic household becomes power hungry and basically insane after he finds a strand of hair.  However, this was no ordinary strand of hair but rather the Prophet Mohammed’s.  This drives the father to extreme behavior, as through guilt changes his laid back ways, goes crazy and basically kills the whole family, including himself.  I believe this story is directed to question those who fully commit themselves to other items, whether it be money, religion, or a strand of hair. 

As someone who is most interested in humor, I have often pondered the psychological effects certain material has on certain people.  As I have personally experienced, it seems as though the material which affects me the most has distinguishing characteristics.  To begin with, the jokes which do actually come at my expense are ones which reveal information which indicate personal flaw.  Jokes that are not positive, but hold some sort of truth.  If someone told a joke about me saying that I was not smart or good at sports, something which holds no value then I would not be offended.  However, if there were a joke about something which had truth to it, like the fact that I’m balding, I find more offense to it, and indeed the enjoyment of others is coming at my expense.

            There are indeed boundaries and guidelines when it comes to acceptable and unacceptable humor.  This is very difficult though, as it is basically impossible for one to venture into the mind/body of another, so they cannot know exactly how much that person is affected.  Through my experience with humor, I have always tried to steer away from anything that is too serious, as those situations will probably be the ones which others take most offense to.  However, as seen through material such as Monty Python’s “Life of Brian”, Christianity and certain aspects of it are not untouchable to those who do not see it as a serious matter.  I also play by the rule of “no harm no foul”, where my making fun of some idiot on television will most likely not affect that person because they will never know.  Humor becomes unacceptable when it has a compounding negative effect on its subjects, and is not aimed to offer any assistance or advice.  More importantly, humor becomes unacceptable when most people do not find it humorous. 

            Having frequently been around humor, and viewing it from both sides of the ball, I can definitely say that it is meant to be handled with responsibility.  When using humor, one should be aware of its consequences on others well-being.  This will not only help your conscience and those around you, but will also make you more humorous, as you will have more support from a crowd that enjoys your presence.  And although you may not agree with other’s beliefs, keep in mind that they do not believe in yours, so their needs to be a mutual respect in that regard.  As long as everyone is safe, keep on playing.