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''Folks, Let's Lighten Up A Little!''
By Sam Knight (c) 2003
I am not naive. I know what kind of shape the world's in. I wish many things were different, but as the saying goes, if wishes were candy... Still, into this chaos I dare to wonder if we need to lighten up a little! Are YOU now wondering if I'm crazy, out of touch or in total denial? Are you thinking that here the world's a big boo-boo and I'm offering band aid therapy? Before you call for the medics.... It seems to me that people forget the enormous positive Immediate impact laughter has on us. Think about it. When we are laughing we are in a feel-good state of mind That particular state of mind allows us to become a little more receptive, a little less argumentative and a whole lot easier to communicate with. Make no mistake: I work hard. HARD! I'm blessed because I love what I do. By the same token (and probably because I work so hard), I believe in playing hard, too. That means plenty of laughter! Two of the things that brings me to the point of hysterics are ethnic and 'put-down' (for lack of a much better word) humor. This begs more explanation. I've often been asked what's acceptable to laugh at and when is a stereotype NOT a stereotype. First, my idea of entertaining humor is not laced with underlying red-flag meanness of spirit. Yes, the brand of humor I mention above takes a group of people and pokes harmless fun at what we have thought of and maybe even accepted as stereotypes. But here's the catch, and it's an important catch - we KNOW better! We can laugh at nonsense because we've been educated to KNOW it's nonsense. There's nothing wrong with us being different and I believe we can thank Humor for being partially responsible for helping us get educated on that score. Let's take some for-instances. Many people think most black folks excel at sports and dancing. The truth is most of us can think of a a black friend or two who we wouldn't want on your first team or is anyone's idea of a candidate for Dance Fever. Is all that 'excellence' a stereotype? Only to those who don't want to believe anything else. There are those who think that Asians have the high- score card when it comes to math and science. Is that reality? Only if 50% of your graduating class' math and science scholastic awards are being won by Asians and you're ignoring the other 50%. It's no secret many people believe Jewish people are tightwads? Is that a stereotype? Yes, because what happens to that theory when you see a Jewish person spending money like water? I've got a couple of Jewish friends I wouldn't DREAM of letting them even think about a night on the town without me! There are those who insist Spanish-speaking people refuse to learn another language or that they believe in enormous families. There is only one reasonable reaction to this and that is to ask, "ALL of them???" That stereotype is so preposterous it really is laughable. Are blonds really nit-wits? Let's call Goldie Hawn. Considering how she's managed to keep us laughing all the way to HER bank, she ought to know! If she's the personification of not-too-bright then give me some hair dye and let me try it her way! Are redheads wild? Not according to the ones I know! If all actors are 'dumb' how do you explain little Opie who grew up to be the wildly successful Ron Howard? Are Italians gangsters? I don't know, ask DaVinci or Micheangelo. A very good friend of mine, Danny, is Irish and a tee-totaler. So much so he's been called a 'drag'. Danny's not a drag; he's diabetic! To me, humor is probably one of the BEST means of educating ourselves about each other. It has broken down barriers that some were positive could never happen, put the brakes on many assumptions and shattered dozens of misconceptions. We've employed Humor in the workplace, the political arena, our families, our friendships, throughout the various media - you name it! And in the meantime, we've all LEARNED! Do I believe in stereotypes? To me, the 'idea' of stereotypes came from somewhere. Mostly from taking a small truth, pulling it like taffy and allowing them to take on a life of their own. Is laughter going to solve the world's problems? Maybe not, but it deserves its props if it helps strip away a little pain. How bad can it be if it helps us to get to know and respect someone else? Why not celebrate Humor if it helps us all take the monumental burden of ugliness through ignorance off our shoulders? I say our collective humanity is entitled to a little fun every once in a while. Seize the moment for what it is (playtime), put it in its proper perspective and, yup, let's lighten up a little, okay? Sam Knight, publisher of BOOMER BRIGADE! Newsletter, operates an Affordable Ad Copy/Mail Dstribution service and is also an author. Her latest e-book is a spoof of the Black American community titled, "Don't Act Like You Never Had Collard Greens!" Contact her at: boomer4ever1@juno.com Her website is www.boomer4ever.com
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