Here Lies Sense of Humor RIP

Here Lies Sense of Humor RIP

For a while now, I have felt that people are losing their sense of humor.  I had nothing tangible to explain this feeling, but it is there.  In analyzing some of my posts it is becoming more and more clear.

People do not find humor where they used to find it.

I often publish re-runs of older posts.  I find it interesting to read the comments on a post from 4 or 5 years ago and then the current comments.

Things that I was told made people spit out their coffee laughing five years ago now have reactions which indicate the post is taken as serious, not as humor or satire.   

I fear we have been conditioned to worry about our reactions to opinions, or situations. Finding humor may not be acceptable to others.  People are so worried about what might be offensive to someone, that it affects how they view things themselves.

We are a nation (world) walking on egg shells. 

Casual observations or jokes are often taken literally and  the joker is rebuked unmercifully on social media.  There is no correcting social media opinions, they take on a life of their own, misinterpretations of your idea or opinion becomes carved in stone.

Words are changed, intonations are inferred and a simple joke or observation will brand you as any number of nasty “ist” identifications.

We are slowly learning it is better to say nothing, laugh at nothing, for fear of offending.  We walk on egg shells

I first noticed this phenomenon in myself while listening to the radio. 

I happen to be a fan of so called “Shock Jock” Howard Stern, who is not afraid to stomp on egg shells.  No topic is off limits to him and he happens to be very funny. 

I don’t find all his comments or opinions to be funny.  Occasionally his topics make me uncomfortable.  Sometimes I just change the station and come back when the subject has changed. 

The man spouts opinions, generally totally of the cuff, on many subjects for several hour a day.  Sooner or later he might offend you a bit.  What I realized is that I can only listen to Howard alone in the car.  If there is anyone else in the car, I can’t listen.  It is uncomfortable to laugh at something he says for fear the other person does not find his comments amusing.

I think this is becoming the dynamic in our lives today.  We are afraid of offending not just with our comments or opinions, but even in our reactions to other peoples comments or opinions.  We are becoming conditioned to ways of thinking that are acceptable and anything that diverts from that thinking, even if in jest, is offensive.

The list of acceptable topics for humor is being whittled down to the point where we are losing our sense of humor.

I am not offended by many things; brutality is never funny, but there can be humor in almost anything if done properly.

I do find the loss of our sense of humor to be offensive.