Humor

Very often when a girl is asked what she is looking for in a prospective groom, in addition to well-educated and well off, she says that he should have a good sense of humor.

Humor is a quality possessed by few. It needs a certain kind of wit and intelligence to be humorous. People who see humor in difficult situations are often able to find better solutions than those who panic in these situations.

There is a vast difference however, between subtle humor and slapstick humor.

Slapstick humor is the kind that can be seen. In essence it is ‘visual comedy’. For example, a bucket of water falling on a man’s head would be slapstick humor. In India, this form of humor is popular and movies that depict it, find a more appreciative audience than subtle humor.

Subtle humor finds an appreciative audience in the educated lot. People who can understand the hidden humor conveyed through the play of words, are capable of giving a willing ear to it.

In India, movies like Chupke Chupke and Angoor, made by intelligent film makers like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar respectively are the perfect examples of subtle humor.

As far as T.V. shows go, Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai has been one of the most popular shows in the subtle humor category.

Another well-known form of humor is satire.

Satire has been defined as –the use of humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

The Indian author Harishankar Parsai is one of the most well-known satirist and has many books to his credit. Harishankar wrote a lot about the state of Indian society, and had the courage to show it the way it was, with all its flaws and short comings.

Another form of humor is parody. Parody is a humorously exaggerated imitation of someone or something for comic effect. It is a human trait to imitate others, which may have been inherited by our ancestors, the monkeys.

A parody may be in the form of an act or a song imitating another well-known song or person.

The ability to be humorous is truly a gift. Humorous people are smart and mentally more stable than their serious counterparts.

People love being around them as they make life much livelier and enjoyable. A humorous person can dissipate the tension built up during a conflict with a single humorous repartee.

It has been observed that anything that has been taught in a humorous way remains in the mind of the learner for days to come.

In conclusion, it has aptly been said that ‘laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone’.

So let’s tickle each other’s funny bone, watch funny shows together, crack witty jokes and try to make light of difficult situations. Ciao