This statement was one of many that stuck with me while reading Comic Relief. It implies that laughter and humor are things that are set aside from emotion, and I'm not sure I agree.
To me it seems that there is an emotional tie to humor. Laughing tends to work as a mini-catharsis. It release stress and is something people strive for. Humor may not encite the same types of reactions such as that of feelings like anger, fear, or sadness, but that is because it is something we want, seek out, and work to create.
Certainly, I enjoy "intellectual humor". I enjoy wit and puns, and generally anything remotely clever. The jokes that make me laugh the most are those where the comic guides your train of thought and then suddenly reverses some idea. As the musical comic Bo Burnham says, "Hit 'em with a rock-hard misdirection."
Misdirection is one of my favorite kinds of humor, exemplified in one of my favorite YouTube video's of all time:
Awareness Test
The same can be said for the idea that humor is about "glad it wasn't me." Like Miss Carolina Answers a Question.
I've got to say that humor as anarchy was something I hadn't thought of before. At first glance one might wonder how the great civilizations came to think this. But then again, think of a class of first graders with a brand-new teacher. Someone makes a typical first grader joke, and suddenly the whole room is erupting in violent fits of laughter. Imagine how quickly the teacher loses her role as an authority and the room turns to chaos. Or even think of young teenage boys, and their idea of authority when it comes to humor. Sometimes behavior centered around humor certainly can lead to anarchy, but it's safe to say I prefer the freedom to enjoy it.
Anyway, now that I've rambled about a few things that stuck with me, here's a laugh:
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