Laughter
There is the laughter of relief, making the train and slipping through the doors Indy-style, farts at funerals and tiny crimes that take tension away. There is the laughter of exhilaration, throwing yourself into the rapids, and the laughter of emotion, fear, awkwardness and approval. There is the laughter of newly formed groups, binding by creating butts, the laughter of superiority over the out-group, and the laughter of letting in, showing approval to the newly joined. There is the laughter of anxiety, trying to make it all okay with a smile, the peace-keeping lie-smile or rictus grin as you listen to one “it was good / big / weird / bad / interesting / uncomfortable / tiny / beautiful" advert-anecdote after another. And there is the laughter of emotion, of sex and murder.
Personally, I prefer the laughter of recognition.
I recognise large status reversals (the boss suddenly becoming the butler, or vice versa), I recognise dead things becoming alive, I recognise human character- istics given to animals, I recognise the indestructibility and innocence of a fool, I recognise perfect appro- priateness, spontaneity, exaggeration - or hyperbole - the serious reduced to the absurd and the sacred profaned - or farce - far distant ideas linked by puns and subtle surreality, strange timing, strange sizes, strange behaviour, and great beauty. I recognise the insights of a hyper-observant comic-master, here to show me myself, at a slight angle to the universe. I recognise all these things because I am an indestructible fool in a strange world, and it makes me laugh to see this.
But what I recognise most of all, is reality, what is happening. I am not a stranger in this universe. The objective world is my friend - and do we not laugh when a friend approaches? This is why genuinely innocent children and ancient tribes spend most of their time merrily sparkling with amused delight or ringing with bright laughter. When the world is seen as it is, it is surprising, bizarre, grotesque, savage, wild, apocalyptically alive and gayly butcherous; not demented and cruel, but mad, hilariously mad... and I am with it. We are friends, the universe and I. In all joy and horror - friends. This is the laughter of the whole truth.
Personally, I prefer the laughter of recognition.
I recognise large status reversals (the boss suddenly becoming the butler, or vice versa), I recognise dead things becoming alive, I recognise human character- istics given to animals, I recognise the indestructibility and innocence of a fool, I recognise perfect appro- priateness, spontaneity, exaggeration - or hyperbole - the serious reduced to the absurd and the sacred profaned - or farce - far distant ideas linked by puns and subtle surreality, strange timing, strange sizes, strange behaviour, and great beauty. I recognise the insights of a hyper-observant comic-master, here to show me myself, at a slight angle to the universe. I recognise all these things because I am an indestructible fool in a strange world, and it makes me laugh to see this.
But what I recognise most of all, is reality, what is happening. I am not a stranger in this universe. The objective world is my friend - and do we not laugh when a friend approaches? This is why genuinely innocent children and ancient tribes spend most of their time merrily sparkling with amused delight or ringing with bright laughter. When the world is seen as it is, it is surprising, bizarre, grotesque, savage, wild, apocalyptically alive and gayly butcherous; not demented and cruel, but mad, hilariously mad... and I am with it. We are friends, the universe and I. In all joy and horror - friends. This is the laughter of the whole truth.
