Leticia Neria PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText ...

might find funny for being inappropriate and for the superior position in which the
journalist places himself. But when the journalist adds that the man is out of step, it
becomes obvious that the scene should not be taken seriously. The comment is improper
and ridiculous, but it is part of the universe of humour.
Perhaps at this point we feel uncomfortable about laughing, but we should
remember what Bergson said about humour: we need to anesthetise our emotions,
otherwise, the situations that concern us, even if they are presented through the
language of humour, will overwhelm us instead of helping us discuss or cope with
them. 152 In humour, things are temporarily permitted, including making fun of those we
should treat with respect. Even if someone finds these jokes tasteless, humour may be
the best way to understand a society contemporaneously. As Jimmy Carr said in
explaining his controversial joke 153 about British soldier amputees from Iraq and
Afghanistan: ‘If a silly joke draws attention to the plight of these servicemen, then so
much the better’. 154 Perhaps if a topic is very controversial, humour can enable us to
cope with trying situations, and it gives us the opportunity to tackle issues in a less
formal and more enjoyable environment.
Finally, considering these acts of humour from a psychoanalytical perspective
we might believe that ‘by occasionally stepping back from the seriousness of the
situation and approaching it with a sense of humor (sometimes called ‘looking on the
152 Bergson, Laughter. An Essay... p. 145.
153 During a live comedy show in October 2009, Jimmy Carr said: ‘Say what you like about these
servicemen amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan, but we’re going to have a ******* good Paralympic
team in 2012’, in ‘Anger over Jimmy Carr’s joke about war amputees’, The Telegraph, 25 October 2009,
section UK News,
25 October 2009 [accessed 23 September 2011].
154 Stephen Moss, ‘Jimmy Carr: ‘I thought my Paralympics joke was totally acceptable’’ The Guardian, 5
November 2009 , section Culture
5 November 2009 [accessed 23 September 2011].
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