This week on Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam looks at what we find funny and what, well, crosses the line. Comedian Bill Burr joins us to talk about why race, gender and Caitlin Jenner can be so funny.
“Small penis” jokes are common even among outspoken feminists and progressives – and this author's giving some much-needed perspective on why they need to stop.
Disparagement humor makes a punchline out of a marginalized group. Racist or sexist jokes, for instance, aren’t just harmless fun – psychologists find they can foster discrimination.
Dear you, yes you, the ones who bullied me and made me feel small. The ones who made fun of me for being too skinny, for being too tall, for not having the right clothes. The ones who made me feel nerdy because I liked to read and wasn’t a great dancer. To you, all of you, I say, “Thank you.” I’ll admit it,
"That's So Gay" Is Not So Funny
Incorporating exercise into your daily routine provides significant health benefits. We explore why you should add exercise into your day to day life.
Some people think its funny when boys joke about rape. They argue that people who speak out against those jokes, and the culture that encourages and allows them, are humorless. But those boys eventually turn into teenagers and men, some of whom DO commit actual sexual violence that predominately, but not exclusively, target women. This must stop now!
It seems as if a few Texas teachers need to go back to school to learn that a joke is supposed to be funny. However, in shockingly poor taste, some Channelview Independent School District teachers reportedly laughed during a mock awards ceremony as they handed out certificates, including one that dubbed a 13-year-old…
There is a difference between laughing together about mental health, and laughing at someone else's expense. There is a difference between jokes meant to bring light to judgment against people with mental illness and jokes that further perpetuate stereotypes and stigma.
The Ojibway tribe recognized it. The Old Testament even references the healing properties of humor: “A merry
