That’s The Joke: Podcast
A large part of the relationships that I have built have been heavily based upon comedy, its the love language of my family and most of the people around me so naturally I try to infuse it in most aspects of the relationships I have. To explore that, I asked two of my best friends and roommates (who in my opinion are very funny) to have a short conversation with me about comedy in our relationship and the state of the art as a whole.
Emotions are one of the only universal languages that we all share, and with joy, laughter, and happiness being the most yearned after it is of the utmost importance to me that I surround myself with people who also value those feelings. The humor we have used with one another has been a key in us becoming so close, but as we talked about in the podcast it has also been a great tool for us to do a multitude of things. It has allowed us to build a close-knit network of friends, but aside from that, it has also allowed us to have healthier interactions with one another. When we do have serious concerns with one another, because of the strong base that we have built, it is never taken offensively, but instead, we understand that we are bringing it up because we care about each other.
It is important to understand that humor is a key part of human interaction in general. According to, Sabrina Steirhalt’s article titled “Why do we laugh”, the reason for the ever-presence of laughter is a version of social instrument that all animals use. She went on to argue that laughter “is a way for us to signal to another person that we wish to connect with them” (Steirhalt). Having a sense of humor is pivotal to making others feel comfortable around you.
There is a line though, and it is one that is often crossed. I have always wondered why things that aren’t funny and are sometimes hurtful for some are funny for others. It seems that as humans who have all experienced pain, we would all understand the power of the things we say, but when searching for a laugh that empathetic thought goes straight out the window. It is a trap that I often fall into myself, but I do believe for the evolutionary tool that is laughter to keep growing along with our people, we need to realize ways in which comedy provides the same joy for everyone as I feel it provides for me.
I really do believe the future of comedy is bright because I believe the future for people is bright and for us to continue fostering connection and bonds we need to continue cautiously using humor to form meaningful relationships with one another.
Stierwalt, Sabrina. “Why Do We Laugh?” Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2020, www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-we-laugh/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.