Ethics and psychology of Humour in popular culture

 

Ethics and psychology of Humour in popular culture

Humour is one of the essential aspects of the individual day to day interaction, yet there is so much we don’t know about it. It happens to be one of the most unexplored areas of human interaction behavior. Understanding the main point of humor in people is very important. It grows an understanding of the various diverse culture and languages and knowing to appreciate. Humour is ubiquitous, and people more often than not enjoy laughter and sometimes humor can be misunderstood or even appear as mockery (Yam et al., n.d).

Despite the importance that humor brings to people it is still challenging to understand it, to grasp the exact condition that brings about something being funny. Nobody can be able to give a full description of humor and most individuals can only define it as something to do with the unexpected. However, still, events can occur unexpectedly and surprisingly but still not be funny (Markman, 2016). Therefore humor is varied in different locations and how it happens.

During the year 1957, when BBC aired a documentary about short winter that was leading to Swiss spaghetti crop in the town of Ticino, the BBC broadcaster was explaining that in the last days of March spaghetti farmers were worried about the late frost, which might not damage the pasta crop but spoil the flavor and hurt prices. It happened that the narration was accompanied by a short film showing a rural family harvesting spaghetti noodles from trees and was drying them “in the warm Alpine sun” (Michel, 2017).

Following the show hundreds of people called, inquiring where they could get their spaghetti bushes to be surprised that date was fool’s day (1st April). It happens that the BBC was playing a prank since at that time not many people knew about Spaghetti and more precisely how it was made. It is reported that the hoax was so successful that even some of the BBC staff got fooled in the joke. Though it was very thoughtful of a joke, it leads to criticism on using a serious news platform to make an April’s day Joke (Michel, 2017).

Despite the criticism from some of the respondents, the prank was regarded as one of the biggest joke ever pulled by a big news organization. Therefore although humor is considered to be the opposite of seriousness, it often comes to some situations where known breaches of ethics are taken seriously, and consequently, the joke loses its meaning. Some people even will go to the extent of opting for the killing of those individual known to be humorous. Some of the regimes like Nazi and Soviet have been known to punish those individuals who made fun about their actions (Benatar, n.d).

In some instances, people don’t respond to humor which is allowed. However tyrannical regimes, Muslims, Fundamentalist and even liberal societies, a majority of them tend to become enraged when they detect breaches in humor ethics and could potentially also be severe in their action (Rod, 2018). Some of the classic examples include a case where at the University of Wales in Swansea a philosopher had to resign following criticism after he reportedly made a joke on “sexual overturns’. James L. Jones was a United States National security advisor who happens to have been taken to task for telling a joke on Jewish businessman and Taliban militants (Benatar, (cited in Guttman 2010).

In New Zealand, a Comedian was made to resign from both Television and a radio job after making a joke about Jews and Homosexuals being expendable. Not all jokes are thought to be wrong; it only happens that they are said innocently and beyond reproach. Ethical questions are often encountered in some instances, I.e. jokes involving Blacks, Jews, Women or humor about God which is regarded blasphemous. Although Humour can be viewed as wrong, it happens that more often than usual it’s not true. Therefore humor is mostly severe matters, and when it comes to Ethics Humour it is not a laughing matter and therefore needs some consideration given, and at some situations, it can be taken too seriously (Benatar, n.d).

Although not explicitly explained humor has a lot of health benefits in our bodies. In improving our fitness and wellbeing humor is essential in motivation. Humour health hypothesis has been done and shows that the joke has a definite link to health. Three theories mostly dominate including tendentious, incongruity and relief argument (Morreall, 2012). Humour in terms of laughter can help in physiological changes in the body which are beneficial in caring out exercise.

Moreover, humor creates a positive emotional state in an individual which acts as a source of motivation for doing fitness exercises much more efficiently and continuously. There are indirect effects of humor where humor helps in moderating the individuals stress effects through appealing to the cognitive perception and thereby able to resist any possible physical harm that might have resulted. It has also been observed that humor has helped individuals improve on their interpersonal skills and associating with others (Maccreaddie 2008),

Humour is worthy of ethical consideration even though sometimes it is taken too seriously (Benatar, n.d). The study indicates that benign violation type of joking also though gives good descriptions of jokes it has an element of surprise and happens in a manner that infuriates other people believes and perceptions of the world (Markman, 2016). Therefore when it comes to being ethically responsible for their needs to be a set of specifications and norms that every one telling jokes require to take by heart to ensure that respect in the diversity of humor. We, therefore, need to know when to disseminate a joke and when to withhold. People need to make a judgment about the humor they are to tell. Individuals need to observe specific contexts when the humor may mean that portraying a negative image to those depicting it or those enjoying it. There is also a need to consider the effects of telling certain jokes.

Moreover, one is required to evaluate the harm the joke might bring and the benefits. The harms and benefits of joke would be determined by the facts about the person telling the joke and not by the crude ways that people have always used. Although, these are not the only determinants of quality and quantity of benefits and harms (Benatar, n.d).

The positive and negative effects of humor need to be weighed, and the resulting outcome is observed. Humour needs to be categorized if it is warranted or unwarranted. If unwarranted it needs not to be considered while if it is warranted it should be weighed heavily. In some circumstances, there are disagreements whether a joke is harmful or not and in such cases humor ethics is assumed the same as other ethical practices (Benatar, n.d).

As human beings, we all have values, beliefs, and attitudes that we have been instilled when we were young — therefore depending on the background, culture, and religion in which we were brought up. The characteristics values and beliefs can be different. All this contribute on the sense of who we are and what view in the world. Values can be defined as a set of principles, norms, and qualities that a particular person or group of people regard as essential pointers to how they live their life. The media, i.e., social media has influenced what is considered to be the norm and has dictated ideas on what values society requires of us. How we behave in making humor is a reflection of the values, beliefs, and attitudes. It is good for individuals to practice and understand values and attitudes of various culture and languages to be able to identify with the Humour that is made in multiple areas of the world (TAFE NSW Sydney, n.d).

All people are entitled to have value, beliefs, and attitudes; it is also essential to know and accept and respect the fact that other people have varied values, beliefs and opinions than yours. Other people are not going to change their value and attitudes for the benefit of another one. Expression through social media platforms such Facebook are varied among individuals, and it is prudent that people understand the need to support other people’s values and attitudes and ensure theirs in line with the community and the law (TAFE NSW Sydney, n.d).

Reference

Benatar, D., (2019). Taking Humour (Ethics) Seriously, But Not Too Seriously. http://www.jpe.ox.ac.uk/papers/taking-humour-ethics-seriously-but-not-too-seriously/

Maareaddie, M., Wiggins, S., (2008). The purpose and function of humor in health, health care, and nursing: A narrative review. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5549061_The_purpose_and_function_of_humour_in_health_health_care_and_nursing_A_narrative_review

Michel, A. (2017). The science of Humour is no Laughing Matter. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/the-science-of-humor-is-no-laughing-matter

Markman, A. (2016). Can Psychology Explain Humour? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201604/can-psychology-explain-humor

TAFE NSW Sydney. (2019). Personal, belief and Attitudes. https://sielearning.tafensw.edu.au/MCS/CHCAOD402A/chcaod402a_csw/knowledge/values/values.htm

Morreall, J. (2012). Philosophy of humor. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/humor/

ROD, A., & MARTIN, F. (2018). Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach. Elsevier Academic Press.

Yam, K. C., Barnes, C. M., Leavitt, K., Uhlmann, E. L., & Wei, W. Why So Serious? Experimental and Field Evidence that Morality and a Sense of Humor are Psychologically Incompatible.