Humor is subjective. What may be funny to me, may not be funny to you. That can be seen in choices of entertainment, in the variety of comedians, sitcoms, comedic movies, and even commercials. Some people love pranks and practical jokes, while others enjoy riddles, dad jokes, or slapstick humor. And even when something is not funny to you, you may still be able to understand why it might be funny to others.
One thing I have struggled with for decades is understanding how picking on the vulnerabilities (or perceived vulnerabilities) of others is a form of comedy. In grade school, you hear children making fun of their peers. They find weaknesses in their classmates to pick on and even name call. You can see them looking for others to join in to create campaigns against a person. That behavior is almost expected in elementary school. But as we mature, we should recognize that no good comes from putting others down and that talking negatively of others is a form of bullying. And that’s not funny.
I still hear people (grown people) laughing at the way people look, move, and talk, laughing at someone else’s pain, and picking on what is clearly someone’s struggle. How is that humorous? And more importantly, how is that affecting the target (another human being) of this amusement? We don’t know what most people are struggling with and how your “joking” could affect them.
Now, some people may say, “So, I can’t joke around with my friends?” or “People are too sensitive these days.” I say, do whatever you like. Just know that your humor may be someone else’s pain.
Etiquette is all about the consideration of others. The point is to have a standard of behavior so that everyone can feel comfortable in any environment. We all have different senses of humor. And humans are evolved enough to have ways of experiencing humor that isn’t harmful to others.
Demeaning another human being has no upside. The reason most people put others down is to feel better about themselves. If you are beyond middle school and want to raise your self-esteem, you can just work on building yourself up as opposed to pushing others down. Because, that’s bullying, and that’s not funny.
I am interested to hear your thoughts on this topic.