Humor is a difficult subject. People have strong, often strongly expressed, opinions about it. Think of things we say to each other: “That’s not funny!” and “Oh, lighten up!”
I initially worked on this post soon after the fallout over the photo of Kathy Griffin holding what looked like Trump’s severed head. I felt like I was coming across as too preachy, so I set it aside for last week’s post, but I knew I wanted to come back to it.
I understand that certain things — humor, art, the prophetic voice — can be deeply disturbing. I also believe that no one — not even the President — is above being criticized or poked fun at. But humor is a tricky thing. We shouldn’t just shrug off negative responses, telling ourselves that some people don’t get it. Sometimes the problem is that we think we’re being funny when we’re merely being offensive. I believe that Griffin’s photo fell in that category; there’s nothing funny about an implied threat. (I also don’t believe the threats against her were appropriate. As I polish this on the same day as the shooting in Alexandria, Virginia, I am troubled by the way so many people seem to resort to threats of violence or actual violence to settle differences.)
My first class toward my master’s degree was a video production course. I remember our instructor saying that all humor is cruel. I disagree with that, but I appreciate how he carried the idea to its logical conclusion: Humor should always be directed at yourself or at someone of a higher standing, not at people below your level. Some mock class award ceremonies at the end of May proved my instructor’s point. If you missed the news, teachers at a couple of different schools gave out awards such as “most likely to become a terrorist,” “most likely to become homeless,” and “most likely not to pay attention” (to a child with ADHD). Poking fun at the children they taught wasn’t funny; it was hurtful.
I think the best way to approach humor is to think about our motives. Humor that tears down can really be cruelty in disguise, particularly when it involves tearing someone down over a characteristic over which they have little to no control (say, their appearance vs. their behavior). If we want to make a difference in the world, I don’t think we need to become humorless; we simply need to combine our sense of humor with a spirit of love.