The Source of our Chuckles

Everyone enjoys a good laugh. And even though they’re oftentimes few and far between, we all deserve a hysterical laugh every once in a while too. The adage, “laughter is the best medicine,” has been around for centuries. And while laughter certainly doesn’t compare to the healing powers of Claritin D, Pepto Bismol, and Dimetapp (not mixed together, of course), I’ll concede that its everyday uses are highly important in making stress go away and life seem bearable. However, this brings me to one of the most primary sources of our laughter these days—YouTube. From movies to stand-up routines to specific sections of the newspaper, comedy has its place in most forms of media…but YouTube is beginning to reign supreme in terms of real, (oftentimes) explicit, uncut humor.

(WARNING: Some of the links to YouTube videos on this blog entry contain inappropriate language and/or situations. Viewer discretion is advised.)

Mel Brooks once said, “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die.” Truer words might have never been spoken. The source of our laughs, most notably on YouTube these days, tends to come from the misfortunes, uniqueness, and life situations of other people. We chuckle while watching David after Dentist as a child receives pain numbing medicine at the dentist for the first time. We see the profession of people like Kentucky’s Turtle Man and sit in both shock and awe at the things he is able to do. And, of course, we ROFL (roll on the floor laughing, for those not down with the text lingo these days) at any children using curse words, one of the most popular occurring when a three year old is asked about monsters.

But have we stopped to think about when we cross the line from humor to exploitation? Not long ago, a close friend of mine refused to watch the full Rack ‘Em Willie video because he thought they were taking advantage of this (presumably) homeless man by pumping alcohol into him and chuckling at the results. However, I have witnessed this same friend laugh hysterically at Tourettes Guy struggling with everyday tasks in his home. I’m sure we can all remember chuckling at the infamous zombie kid announcing his love for turtles during a Halloween interview. Or recall the interview with Antoine Dodson after his sister was attacked and allegedly raped in his home while he was downstairs and she was upstairs (and then they turned it into an infamous song). Are we really snickering about a drunken homeless man? Are we really chuckling at the misfortunes of a man with a debilitating syndrome? Are we making fun of a little kid? Are we laughing at rape? LAUGHING AT RAPE?!

I think back to some of the videos I enjoyed as a freshman in college, and I have to concede that clips like Whistle Tips, Leprechaun Sighting, and Chocolate Rain are probably more exploitative than they are humorous. And even today, I’m a Snake and Trapped in a Closet on Acid serve as proof that this genre of humor has not only persevered, but probably strengthened over the past five years. Is this our legacy in the 21^st century? Are we hanging our hats on humor that tears people down and turns them into targets? My answer—No, I don’t think so. I’m sure the vast majority of these people are consenting to put these embarrassing videos online in hopes that they will get famous and go viral in a big way.

Are there exploitative videos out there? Of course. Heck, I even put one up when I was at a Steel Drum concert in Maysville, Kentucky and I happened to notice a woman dancing while the music was playing. But at the same time, anyone who has ever watched Dramatic Chipmunk (or any of the thousands of variations), Diet Coke and Mentos, and Christian the Lion knows that there is hope out there. Good, clean, kid-safe humor is out there…and it’s still really funny. Given that YouTube pretty much only prohibits nudity, I think it’s only normal for us to expect a huge selection of videos ranging from the Chinese Backstreet Boys to Charlie Bit My Finger. Everyone wants to be a comedian…

But me? I just want to be a daredevil (fast forward to forty seconds and marvel in amazement). And so I will leave the debate about what is ethical and unethical for each of you to decide when it comes to social media like YouTube. Regardless of whether you end up laughing at the things people do with their spare time, people with big dreams and small skill sets, or hidden camera humor, I say to each his own. And if anyone has ever watched the video on Kittens and not laughed, then you don’t know what humor is.