Monday, February 7, 2011

The Power of Ridicule

I have a theory that the truth cannot be successfully ridiculed. If you define ‘truth’ as that which is Good and Beautiful and Whole (as in meaning healthy), then ridicule cannot work successfully. It can be ridiculed, but no one will laugh.

If something can be easily ridiculed, then it will not be true. Only flaws can be ridiculed. Only that which falls short of that which is good and beautiful and whole can be successfully made fun of.

If anyone tried to ridicule the fact that ‘2+2=4,’ it could not be done successfully. Successful comics, for example, can only ridicule the flaws in things, the fact they fall short of perfection. If things were perfect, I wonder if there could be any humor, except for puns?

Satire, which is ridicule, is aimed at correction. Humor, is general, is not aimed at correction, but at acceptance. But either way, they are based on the fact things are not perfect – they are not ‘good,’ certainly not ‘beautiful,’ and definitely not ‘whole.”

Satire and ridicule are based on hostility, the fact there have to be winners and losers.

Mark Twain also pointed out the only real weapon humanity has is laughter. I’d agree with him on that one.

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