What's So Funny?

Getting along or being a doormat. It’s a fine line. When does a community or person properly protest about a joke or characterisation - when is it just being petulant?

There is an ongoing debate in our culture (in global culture too) about where the boundaries are and which lines are uncrossable when it comes to making jokes. Are some jokes really an assault on a community or religion? Part of the problem is that humour, almost by its very nature, has something or someone as the butt of the joke.

Currently the controversy rages about The Love Guru.

Love Guru


Is it too much? Is it directed against Hindus or against Deepak Chopra? Has anyone seen enough of the movie to make a sensible call?

Love Guru Controversy

Deepak Chopra's Response

Even more about it

And so the assault continues on our collective sense of humour. Maybe we are so anxious these days, so easily hurt, because we are not laughing hard enough.
But, what are we allowed to laugh at? What is insensitive? What is just funny?

I don’t know.

But I do know that humour and laughing are serious stuff. Laughter is actually, literally, good for you.
http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

I do also know that some people put themselves out there and make us laugh. And so I offer the following for this time of diminishing funny, a simple man at his computer and an outrageous activist/singer/dancer/Eurovision contestant.

By the way, Eurovision 2008 has just ended but I highly recommend it. In a world gone serious it is good to find a corner that truly (truly) has a completely weird understanding of the meaning of the word serious.

Numa Numa


Eurovision


Happy Lauging
Shalom
K