The Power of Laughter

I thought I might touch on the power of politically oriented humor in my previous post. “Laugh!” I wrote in an early draft of Maintaining Peace and Joy Under Authoritarianism. “Laugh at the goons, buffoons, and loons propping up this destructive regime.”

There’s no denying the power of humor to buoy our spirits in even the darkest times. And yet I still had reservations as I wrote that line. It occurred to me that our ability to laugh, and what we hope might result from our laughter, very much depends on our privilege. It was then I realized I’d need to delve more deeply into the nature of humor in order to do it justice.

Satirical image of Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan, and Tucker Carlson
 laying hands on Governor Newsom

Yeruchem Eilfort states that humor has been an important part of Judaism since Biblical times, whether for the sake of preparing the mind for Talmudic study or otherwise coping with the vicissitudes of existence. This appreciation for humor would later play a role in helping the Jewish people weather the diaspora, the holocaust, and oppression lasting up to the present day. Discretion is required, though, when using humor to cope with oppression. A privately shared joke that afforded a Jewish family the strength and cohesion to face another day in Nazi Germany, for instance, might have gotten them summarily killed if overheard by the wrong individual.

Across the ocean, however, humor related to the rise of fascism played out in a much different context. As the U.S. Holocaust Museum wrote on their blog:

For Americans and others not living under Axis rule, laughing at Hitler was both a way to take the Nazis down a notch and to soothe fears. The Nazis thrived on intimidation and threats, whether by parading down the streets in mass, beating up political opponents, publicly humiliating “enemies of the state,” or producing films aimed to show German military invulnerability. Making the Nazis look ridiculous helped to lessen popular fears and deflate Axis pomposity.

An excellent contemporary example of this is how Governor Newsom’s recent social media posts so exquisitely satirize the President’s already laughable ones. And, for what it’s worth, this humor does appear to be getting under the skin of the POTUS and his supporters. It seems that being laughed at is something that even those who behave most shamelessly still abhor. However, let’s not be fooled into thinking that laughter alone will put power back in the hands of sane people. No, we need to follow through with substantive action at the ballot box.

But if only action will return sanity to our leadership, what positive role does humor play? And what about any negatives? Is it possible for humor to do more harm than good? Let me also not forget that this is a blog focusing on spirituality. What does it mean for ostensibly spiritual people to share a laugh at the expense of others—even if those others are acting in evil ways or supporting those who are? Perhaps it would be clarifying to list the pros and cons of the politically oriented humor of which I speak.

 

Pros of Laughing at the Powerful

Humor allows us to maintain our peace and joy. We need a little comic relief in these dark times of advancing authoritarianism. Humor is indispensable to our continuing the work that we must do.

It helps create a united front. Our ability to laugh at “our” oppressor brings us together, and there is strength in that unity.

We deny the powerful our fear. The powerful would love to believe that they have us cowering. In reality, though, they only have the power we give them. Our laughter reminds them of this.

Humor can clarify, communicate, and educate. In the same way that a good joke can open up one’s mind for Talmudic study, perhaps political humor allows us to see things that much more clearly. Statista reports that over 20% get their political news at least in part from late night comedic television. And if you think that percentage is rather small, consider that only slightly over 40% denied getting their political news that way. The others either admitted to getting at least some of their political news that way or weren’t sure whether they did or didn’t.

The ability to poke fun at elected officials represents a free speech line in the sand. Our comedians are our “canaries in the coal mine.” It behooves us to pay close attention to how they are treated.

 

Cons of Laughing at the Powerful

The vulnerable aren’t in a position to share in the joke. I can’t imagine being able to laugh along with the rest of the country while being torn away from family, disappeared from public spaces, and summarily deported to parts unknown. Likewise, those who must choose between food and medicine, or do without reproductive healthcare. Our ability to openly laugh is a sign of our privilege. Let’s not lose track of that reality.

We may be lured into thinking that our laughter is fundamentally improving things. How many times have we seen a headline along the lines of: “So-and-so did such-and-such and the internet had some thoughts.” Yes, some of those thoughts might be hilarious, but so-and-so STILL did such-and-such, and it won’t be undone anytime soon. Just because we laugh at those who do evil things doesn't mean those evil things stop happening.

Real communication becomes lost. Dialogue descends into little more than a game of one side trying to “own” the other.

The truly shameless are immune to shame. But even if they weren’t, shame is a poor motivator to do the right thing. It invites the doubling and tripling down that we’ve become so accustomed to, and which is clearly not in anyone’s interest—least of all the vulnerable. Are we being good allies when our attempts at shaming the powerful essentially goad them into strengthening their commitment to harmful policy?

We other those who are othering. We might be well-served by asking ourselves whether our humor is helping bridge the divide in understanding or whether it’s further exacerbating us-and-them thinking. Feelings of self-righteousness won’t get us out of the mess we’re in.

 

So, what do you think? Do the potential cons here outweigh the pros? Regardless, I’m not prepared to give up on politically oriented humor. When done well, it’s one of the most powerful tools of peaceful resistance. I simply hope this post allows us to use humor with greater mindfulness—in a way that allows our energy to have a positive impact.

 

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Images

AI image cropped from Governor Newsom Press Office tweet.

 

 

Copyright 2025 by Mark Robert Frank