Is humor the most dangerous emotion? To authoritarianism, yes.
“Laughter is more contagious than the flu,†wrote Andrea Gibson, Colorado’s poet laureate who died this month. Humor counterbalances vitriol, doomscrolling and hate. It is anger’s opposite.
When angry, we are irrational. We have tunnel vision and muffled hearing. We act in regrettable ways. When mad, we are more easily manipulated and controlled.
Comedy matters and is a powerful force. Why? Parody is universal. Spreads fast. It requires reflection. Creativity. Also known as critical thinking. Laughter predates language. Infants as young as 2 months old giggle. Banter exists in every documented society. And it’s free. Laughter does not require a savings account.
Strangely, President Donald Trump does not appear to laugh. At all. He smirks. Is Trump funny? To supporters? Maybe. To others? No. Who can forget when he mocked a disabled reporter?
In psychology, Trump’s humor style is called “hostile or superiority humor.†Freud believed this humor revealed a deep aggression or anxiety. Kicking someone already down. Laughter reflects vulnerability, a trait Trump avoids projecting. Vehemently.
Stephen Colbert, comedian and CBS talk show host, recently learned his program, "The Late Show," concludes in May 2026. The timing of the termination matters.
Let me explain.
The show’s corporate parent, Paramount Global, is merging with Skydance Media. The agreement is valued at $28 billion. Wow. That’s a number hard to fathom. The Writers Guild of America worries the merger creates a monopoly. It's correct.
The merger requires government approval. Are you paying attention? Trump calls the shots. Colbert lampooned Trump. And Trump despises criticism. Why? Because punditry makes small men look weak.
Go read a history book. Every repressive government censors comedy. Stalin’s KGB forbade jokes. They were called “anekdoty.†An example: “They pretend to pay us; we pretend to work.â€
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Or look at China. It's no stranger to censorship. During China’s Cultural Revolution, people were imprisoned for jokes like, “What’s the definition of a straight line? The shortest distance between two purges.â€
China continues to censor the spoken and written word. No stand-up comedy is permitted. No satire. Online censorship scrubs memes or jokes satirizing Xi Jinping. What a dour and sad social reality.
In 2023, comedian Li Haoshi was fined $2 million for mocking the Chinese military.
Such censorship is a problem. A big one. Is it leaking into America? People the world over move to America for free speech. Are they making the right choice?
Under Hitler, thousands were arrested for “Wehrkraftzersetzung†(undermining military morale). Nazis did this early on, before seizing official control.
Example: “How many Germans does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None. They’re too busy following orders in the dark.â€
And here’s another joke. This was censored during apartheid South Africa: “Why do white people own all the farms? Because Black people are too busy working on them.†Being arrested is no laughing matter.
Laughter neurology is fascinating. We mirror when others laugh. Then we laugh. The prefrontal cortex processes incongruity. This activates the amygdala (your emotion center). Dopamine surges. Then you produce oxytocin, the “bonding hormone.†This often expands openness and trust. It increases blood flow. Reduces stress.
So, while progressives are blasted for political correctness and word exclusion, they are not the word purgers.
So now what? Speak up while we can. Lampoon the powerful. Raise your voice. Louder. Spook bullies. And remember: Laughter rattles dictators.
