I’ve come to believe that politics has become less funny, more humorless. I think this is certainly true of professional politicians and their henchmen and henchwomen. I think it is true of pundits and talking heads.
Most important, I think it is true of regular civilians who like to talk – and argue – about politics over dinner or at a bar. Stridency is up; the capacity to take teasing is down. At least that’s my hunch. There is no national gag-o-meter to measure such things.
The absence of laughter and humor is something to worry about. So on this week’s podcast, we paid a visit to Dr. John Morreall, now retired from William & Mary University in Virginia, a scholar of the philosophy of humor and author of several books on the subject.
As a consultant, he has helped businesses and leaders learn to use humor as a helpful tool. Morreall is also a very funny guy, but I’m funnier.
