April 1, 2022
Editor: Jesica Isser
Artist: Sydney Newman
Warning: This article is not about the musical with Barbra Streisand. I’ve actually never seen it. So sorry for getting your hopes up. Feel free to skip this article. No hard feelings.
Yay you decided to keep reading! I hope you like it!
The funny girl I do want to write about is me. I promise, I’m not a narcissist. I actually don’t think I’m that funny. (I mean just reread that introduction: so cringe.) However, I’ve been noticing recently that my friends, classmates, and family keep laughing at my little one liners, dramatic rants, and silly antics. I’ve also recently started my job as a Campus Day Leader, an event for admitted students, and I truly believe I am a stand up comedian first and tour guide second. Something about a group of nervous high school seniors, desperate to make a good impression, laughing at my joke about looking for a boy to kiss under the West Engineering Arch really feeds my ego.
Regardless of how funny I actually am, laughter is truly one of my favorite things in this world. I love the feeling of laughing so hard that my stomach cramps, my eyes tear up, and my cheeks are sore. The physical action and sound of laughter from myself or others instantly puts me in a good mood. I also love to create laughter. I consider a laugh one of the highest compliments possible. The idea of filling someone with so much delight, love, and happiness that it creates a physical response is an incredibly compelling concept to me. I believe the contagiousness of laughter is an especially strong force as it is able to transcend language and establish a genuine connection between others.
Because of my affinity to laughter, I’ve developed a bit of a dependency on it. Starting in high school, I struggled with my self confidence. I was not always the smartest kid in class, and some of my classmates LOVED to make me aware of that. (Shout out to toxic masculinity! #slay). I came to terms with the idea that I wouldn’t always be the brightest in the classroom, but I could shine in other ways: by creating laughter. By becoming the class clown, I was actually able to find a reason to want to come to class and maybe even learn a thing or two. I found that this also helped me form genuine friends in my more difficult classes who made me realize I wasn’t “dumb” after all.
Laughter has since been something I have seeked out in difficult times, and I’m not alone. If you take a look at most popular comedians, they tend to have some dark back stories. Pete Davidson’s dad died during 9/11. Robin Williams struggled with depression. John Mulaney has an ongoing battle with substance abuse and drug addiction. Not to say that a dark past is required to have a sense of humor, but comedy is a powerful tool to help us get through our most difficult times.
Laughter has the power to heal others and, most importantly, ourselves. I’ve found that making jokes about the stressors in my life and even laughing at myself helps me put things in perspective and realize that this too shall pass. Laughter is a tool so many others and I use to help us push past difficult situations and find the joy in making others smile. I hope I’ve been able to make you laugh and if I haven’t, please don’t tell me. I don’t think I could handle that ego bruise.