Gallows Humor Lightens The Recession
Bankers And Corporations Butt Of Jokes
A Chinese fortune cookie message reads, "a good laugh and a good cry cleanse the mind". During the business downturn you expect to see a lot of people having a good cry; the surprise is there's a lot of joking and laughter as well. Mostly, as you'd expect, it's gallows humor that rules the day. According to The Free Dictionary this involves "humorous treatment of a grave or dire situation".
Open Season On Bankers
There's little or no kidding about the ordinary jobless person but it's open season on bankers and corporate chieftains. Jokes at their expense have savage undertones. Take this one, "What's the difference between a banker and a pizza? The pizza can feed a family of five." And this, "optimism is personified by a banker ironing five shirts on Sunday night." The inference, of course, is that he won't last a week in his job. In London they are being likened to airborne vermin; "What's the difference between investment bankers and pigeons?" The answer?" The pigeons are still capable of making deposits on BMWs." Joking about former power figures helps diffuse some of the anger that people feel over the corporate mismanagement that caused the recession. It also gives them a sense of power which is good in the current situation.
Humor About The Unthinkable
Company amalgamations and other woes don't escape in the general joshing. "Fedex is expected to join its competitor UPS and become FEDUP" and "Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will merge to become Fairwell Honeychild."
There is some humor about the unthinkable - becoming laid off: Witness this wry observation from the New York Times "someone recently circulated a fictitious memo outlining the latest Chase early retirement program. The age requirement had been lowered. Eligibility began at age 35." Then there's this one, " How do you know your company is planning layoffs? When the dental plan consists of pliers and string." And this, " I started polishing my resume when I heard that Dr Kavorkian had been hired as a transition consultant." (The doctor is famous for his views on assisted suicide.)
Humor Brings People Together
Some 97 percent of employees believe it's important for managers to have a funny bone and many businesses go out of their way to post jokes on communal notice boards. Humor brings people together. Canadian Steve Gooder of Kelowna, British Columbia, a chartered financial planner, has a binder with jokes on the table of his waiting room. Clients can thumb through the entries and tease each other about their lousy stock picks while they wait for him.
My Favorite Candy Bar
He may be out of office but the 43rd President of the United States still supplies fodder as in the following joke from The List Universe, "George Bush was asked what he thought of the credit crunch and he replied, 'it's my favorite candy bar'."
Jay Leno's had fun too, "Do you have any idea how cheap stocks are now? Wall Street is now being called Wal-Mart Street." Another good one of his is " The United States have developed a new weapon that destroys people but leaves buildings standing. It's called the stock market."
The Study Of Laughter
The jury's out on whether laughter has long term physical benefits although being optimistic and having a sense of humor definitely does. Funnily enough - sorry - there has not been a great deal of research into the science of gelotology, the study of laughter and humor on the human body. It's known to lower blood sugar, boost the immune system and suppress cortisol, the stress hormone.
Dieters Should Laugh More
It's also great for losing weight. Dieters should laugh more and forget calorie counting. Maciej Buchowski, a Vanderbilt University researcher found that laughing for 10 -15 minutes burned 50 calories. Stanford University's Dr William F Fry says it's good for the heart. He claims it took 10 minutes on the rowing machine for his heart rate to reach the level it did after one minute of hearty laughter. Two guesses about what's more fun.
Cutting The Worry Down To Size
To cope with the recession, people are laughing as they relay jokes such as; "The recession has put me back on my feet. The car has been repossessed". Joking about the unthinkable is a way of cutting the worry down to size and gaining empowerment.
Jay Leno, host of the Tonight Show. Cropped from F
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