Michael Ian Black: What's So Funny About Sadness?
Metaphysical Milkshake with Rainn & Reza
00:00
The Power of Jokes in the Communication of Sadness
Jokes are a perfect valve for releasing that tension. Laughter is, literally, it's a release of tension. The punch line is the release of the tension. Jokes can be a pretty powerful vehicle because they have a way of breaking through the tension that just comes naturally when you're confronted by sadness. He's giving you permission, in a sense, to laugh with him, to recognize this very common experience, the experience of loss.
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