Jokes

In this PC world, telling jokes must be left to the professional comedians—and sometimes they even get in trouble for it. But jokes are not trivial things. They allow things that concern us, that make us uncomfortable, that we keep hidden to come to the surface and into the light.

We laugh. But then we talk or a seed is planted or we know our concerns are shared or we learn something about ourselves by telling the joke or laughing at it. Jokes are a useful form of social commentary and social engagement. A good joke can be a powerful social or political weapon.