How do comedies affect us?

Comedy is more than just a pleasant way to spend time. A humorous genre is more than ordinary entertainment. Laughter is woven into our everyday affairs so firmly that we can not abandon it, even if we set ourselves such a goal. We release jokes in exchange for compliments, we tell jokes at the lunch break and manage to cheer up those gathered at the funeral. Can humor change the way of life? Let's try to figure it out.

Laughter helps to cope with difficulties and seek the right solutions

Humor has long outgrown the genre of frivolous fascination and has become a real outlet for those who seek to overcome difficult life situations. It helps to interact and acts as a liaison in disparate groups of people. Throughout the long history of humankind, a sense of humor helped the outstanding thinkers to make their discoveries. According to writers Peter McGraw and Joel Warner, Plato and Aristotle laid the foundations of Western philosophy, trying to find meaning in comedies. The search for laughter in the joyful shouts of chimpanzees helped Charles Darwin discover an evolutionary theory. Sigmund Freud, with the help of jokes, wandered through the back streets of the unconscious.

One of the most popular theories

Philosopher Thomas Hobbes presented to the public the theory of the origin of humor, which later acquired many admirers. According to the scientist, jokes help people assert themselves and show their superiority over the weak. That's why we like to laugh so much at those who are in an unenviable position or literally fell face to face in the mud. Of course, attempts to ridicule the disabled will never be a chance. Fortunately, there will always be a drop of compassion and tolerance in our society.

This helps us avoid internecine strife and eliminates the confusion in the brain

"If people could not joke and laugh, they would have beaten each other with sticks for a long time," - this is the opinion of the cognitive neuroscientist, author of scientific works of Scott Weems. In his last book, the scientist was able to gather together and analyze the results of several scientific studies, including those that used brain scanning. According to the expert, in fact, laughter is a form of psychological processing of information. When a person tries to cope with complex contradictory problems, humor relieves of confusion in the brain, assuming the role of a kind of filter.

Laughter through tears

This partly explains our ability to laugh in tragic situations. At first glance, the dark and intricate story does not fit in with the comedy message. However, there will always be fans of gloomy humor, satire and sarcasm. This helps people to unite and experience the darkest milestones in history. As it was, for example, in America after the notorious terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. And although there are fans of inappropriate or scabrous utterances, just accentuating the situation, these are, rather, exceptions that confirm the rule. In general, jokes, born of a person in difficult times, help move on.

Comedy has a powerful social function

For a long time studying the impact of satirical comedies on the masses, researchers have gathered a lot of evidence that complex satirical comedies have a powerful social function. Some comedy genres are experiencing an extraordinary surge in popularity. So, satire has the right to ridicule unsightly political decisions and everywhere violated taboos. This genre took over the duties of a regulator of public values. How even more subtly and wittily can we call the authorities to account? Comedies and satires perform a good deed. Both of these genres are aimed at changing and reforming society. Together, they form the best humorous layer, devoid of purely entertainment background. Comedies mock social inequality and can become a powerful political platform.

Comedians are more than jesters

The best comedians have long ceased to be jesters. With the help of their subtle humor, they direct the consciousness of the masses in the right direction. They want to change the image of our thoughts, make us think about our actions. A person who knows himself in a satirical miniature may revise his life principles. Josie Long has a reputation as a clever narrator and a delightfully optimistic comedian. She could collect the halls, forcing the audience to laugh to the colic in the stomach. However, she intentionally moved away from the jokes and, at the beginning of her career, began to focus on social and political topics, which, in addition, has also succeeded a lot.

The popularity of the genre of political comedy

According to Josie, comedians should play a certain role in the formation of urgent and topical problems of society. Political decisions often leave an unpleasant aftertaste, they cause people to suffer in the general mass and make them unhappy. Satire is capable of leveling negative sentiments among the masses. It ridicules the powerful of this world and gives society hope for improvement. When comedians expose the ruling elite, the suffering and deprived feel relief. That's why humor is so important. Well, for a comedian, this is one of the ways to become useful to other people.

Comedians master the principles of influence on the masses

In order to be able to influence the masses, stand-up comedians must act as a counterweight to fanaticism and prejudice. They seriously filter modern political realities, especially unpopular government measures or outright injustice towards citizens. This is difficult, because people, leaving their concerts, should have an elevated mood, and not a devastation. Some stand-up comedians are so successful in their chosen field that they have even a larger audience than the politicians themselves. And this is undoubted success.

They occupy a certain place in society

The best representatives of the genre, such as John Oliver and Stuart Lee, expanded the idea of people about comedians. They play a role in modern society and have long ceased to simply amuse the public. Whatever happens in British society, Oliver immediately begins in his speeches to discuss the problem. And they do not just express their point of view, they make the audience laugh wildly. Another feature of topical satire is a subtle sense of public mood. Otherwise, after every joke in the room, there would be a grave silence.

The direction of political comedy

There is no doubt that the comedy has many tasks. So, social jokes are a way of forming people into separate groups. Political satire has even more possibilities. It can contribute to the creation of common ideals among the masses. When people come together, express their opinion, agree or argue with their opponents, confrontation is inevitable. Jokes also cover wider, marginal segments of the population and make all people laugh at some phenomenon. Thus, with the help of laughter, the public expresses their own approval.

Scientists believe that comedy can be one way of introducing unpopular ideas into society. It is only necessary to study how humor can introduce or undermine stereotypes. For example, in the US video news from the category of political comedy is a whole humorous layer, which is very popular with the public. Political satire has long become part of the mass culture in the country, creating a great resonance in society, it makes people turn from observers into active citizens. And this trend can not remain unnoticed.

The worse the political news, the more successful the joke can be. Fortunately, people have an innate ability to laugh troubles in the face. Well, the man who made you laugh to the pain in your stomach, is admired and even trusted.

Conclusion

The best comedians take on the role of cultural critics. A good joke can reach the goal, producing a smashing blow. "If people laugh, it means they listen to you", - this is a powerful quotation reflecting the essence of the performance of the actors of the colloquial genre.