Photo By: Monica Silvestre on Pexels

By: Amirsam Ahmadi

In challenging times, comedy has always been used as a very important method to achieve emotional resilience and human connection. Humour has provided us with stress and anxiety relief, offering a momentary escape of the difficulties of day to day life. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel good chemicals, promoting a sense of happiness and positivity.

Beyond individual benefits, humour has been shown to connect humans with each other. Sharing a laugh with someone can strengthen relationships and build a sense of community. In hardship, this bond becomes vital, as collective positivity and humour can help people cope.

Comedy has played an important role in social justice, providing one avenue to bring attention to societal norms and stereotypes by challenging authority. Comedians point out unfairness to make people contemplate commonly accepted wrongs in a light-hearted manner. A well known example is Amy Schumer, who raises issues of gender inequality through her work. Her TV series “Inside Amy Schumer” features topics such as body image, consent to sexual activity, and double standards that society enforces. The highlighting of such issues, and making them connect with the audience more easily, is done successfully by adding humor to the message. 

Overall, comedy is much more than jokes, it is a coping strategy that promotes good mental health, social bonds, and may be used to help increase social change when times get tough.

Works Cited

Renegar, Valerie R., et al. “Feminist Comedy’s Blond Badass: Amy Schumer and the Limits of White Feminism.” Cornerstone, cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/eng-fac-pubs/29/. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024. 

“Stress Relief from Laughter? It’s No Joke.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 22 Sept. 2023, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456.