cbergeron

Perhaps that's why we laugh at the rotten kids in "Willy Wonka and he Chocolate Factory" - because they're getting their just desserts?

I'm a bit late to the party, so please forgive me if this has been discussed already. I'm pleased to see references to commedia dell'arte. I do historical re-enactment, and several friends are in a local commedia group. They put a lot of effort into their work, with sets, costumes, masks, etc. I was surprised not to see a reference to Punch and Judy puppet shows, which seem clearly to be an antecedent for slapstick. One of my main reasons for signing up for this class was to explore the question - why do we laugh at people getting hurt? And as I read the first couple of essays, it hit me like a rubber truncheon - because we're human, and humans are inherently violent, find violence entertaining, and seemingly always have, as far back as we can tell. The Roman gladiators immediately come to mind. Russel Crowe's shout to the arena crowd in "Gladiator": "Are you not entertained?" Medieval knights stylized and institutionalized violence-as-entertainment with their jousts and tournaments, despite the Church's condemnation. Bare-knuckles boxing in the 19th century, with gloves added in the 20th, and MMA in the 21st. The ritual and theatrics of professional wrestling, with the Mexican variant really taking it over the top. Bull-fighting. Rugby, hockey, and football. We're a violent race, and we like to cheer for our heroes and boo the villains. So what makes laughter replace cheering and booing? It's true that humor is like a frog or a watch - when you take it apart to see how it works, it stops working. Something to think about.