Ep. 15: Laughter – The Good, the Mad, the Funny

Laughter: humorous or social? Did you pick your laugh? Uncontrollable laughter When have you laughed the hardest? The giggle loop Should we do the “ha-ha” game at a PFL retreat? Trash in the Himalayas Is that funny, punk? Memes The irony of laughing at something that’s not funny Watching bad movies—on purpose The Room, Tommy Wiseau Stephanie’s high school summer of bad sci fi Blockbuster: the virtue of escaping recommendation engines Best of the Worst and Neil Breen Trying to beat Netflix’s recommendation engine Chef’s Table, Switched at Birth, and other good finds When have you laughed the hardest? Commercial break: Laugh Assistant Laughter is auditory Evolution and laughter Comedians as laugh-makers Evolution of humor Laughter as a way to de-stress Gallows humor, laughter as a way to cope Humor in older age Two extremes: outrage and laughter When humor goes wrong Knowing your audience Michael Richards Justine Sacco Mocking others: when people pile on Are trolls normal people? The woman who followed up with her troll Bullying on social media The implications and context of laughter Laughter because of anxiety and as a medicine for anxiety Do you practice self-censorship to avoid possible offense Or, do you feel free to say what you feel? When a comedian calls out their audience Have courage, try your best—continue to bring laughter to the world!