{"id":12,"date":"2020-09-14T17:01:51","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T21:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/?p=12"},"modified":"2022-11-30T15:19:51","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T20:19:51","slug":"in-the-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/in-the-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Humor in the News: An Exploration of Comedy as a Method for Managing Emotions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Analysis of Jessica Testa’s\u00a0\u201cHow Not to Be a Character in a \u2018Bad Fashion Movie\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Logan Jackson for The New York Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NY Times writer Jessica Testa\u2019s \u201cHow Not to Be a Character in a \u2018Bad Fashion Movie\u2019\u201d is an interview with Laura Brown, who recently lost her job as editor-in-chief at InStyle Magazine. Though many might expect Brown to grieve her job and express sadness at her loss, she took a different approach. Testa describes Brown as a \u201ccourt jester\u201d, and Brown is true to this: she reflects on her situation and past with the fashion industry with humor. Testa describes the term \u201c\u2018<\/span>bad fashion movie\u2019 \u2014 a phrase [Brown] began using several years ago to describe the fashion editor archetype: elitist, egomaniacal and <\/span>downright \u2018Devil Wears Prada<\/span>\u2019-ish.\u201d Describing the members of the fashion industry as members of a \u201cbad fashion movie\u201d highlights Brown\u2019s issues with the fashion industry in a comedic light. The reference to \u201cDevil Wears Prada\u201d connotes exclusiveness and competitiveness. Brown pokes fun at the \u201cfashion editor archetype\u201d that is \u201celitist\u201d and \u201cegomaniacal\u201d, saying they belong in a \u201cbad fashion movie\u201d, because Brown has realized that the cut-throat pretentiousness of the fashion industry is more akin<\/span> to the drama of a film than a conducive working environment. Essentially, instead of lamenting her loss, Brown talks about the fashion industry in a humorous light. According to \u201cManaging Emotions in Public: The Case of Wheelchair Users\u201d, an article that explores how wheelchair manage their emotions to conduct successful social interactions: \u201claughing at or joking about embarrassing events reduces their seriousness and thereby lessens potentially embarrassing concern about them. Laughter and humor are also means of allaying anxiety (Cahill and Eggleston, 4-5,1994). Here, Brown employs a similar strategy to the wheelchair users. Losing one\u2019s job can be an embarrassing experience, but most do not want to present themselves self-consciously in an interview. Thus, Brown uses humor to manage her emotions to display confidence and personability. This persuades us that Brown is better off without her job.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Testa describes Brown as the \u201cfurthest a mainstream fashion editor could get from Miranda Priestly\u2019s ilk\u201d who wears \u201csunglasses\u201d and \u201cbeachy waves\u201d. In appearance, Brown differs from her peers, but this separation also originates from differences in personality and values. Brown describes herself as a <\/span>\u201cnice lady who eats spaghetti\u201d, not one of the \u201cpointy people\u201d. Similar to a \u201cbad fashion movie\u201d, \u201cpointy people\u201d refers to \u201ca certain kind of fashion person: exclusionary, intimidating, obsessed with punching a \u2018sandwich card of chic\u2019\u201d. A \u201csandwich card of chic\u201d is a humorous turn of phrase that indicates Brown is aware that her peers chase after style only to prove they are \u201cchic\u201d, rather than having original style. There is a separation between Brown and her peers. She could have addressed it with anger or insecurity, and that would have affected our perception of her. Brown, however, expresses it with humor which builds an intelligent, confident perception of Brown. Brown manages her emotions to produce a desired display.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s critical, lacerating analysis of her peers causes us to think she\u2019s better off without her job. Brown reflects on her situation in a comedic yet serious way that perfectly sums up her mindset:\u00a0 \u201cSo maybe I\u2019ll get fewer handbags sent to me. [But] if you\u2019ve earned your stripes and done the work, you take it with you. You don\u2019t just fly off into space.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Analysis of David Brooks\u2019s \u201cConfessions of a Middle-Aged Fanboy\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Illustration by Sam Whitney\/The New York Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NY Times writer David Brooks\u2019s \u201cConfessions of a Middle-Aged Fanboy\u201d is a funny analysis into the perspective of an underrepresented population: middle-aged men obsessed with current music. Brooks refers to this as a \u201ccondition\u201d: \u201c<\/span>maturity interruptus\u201d. <\/span><\/i>Essentially, Brooks owns that his musical taste does not fit his age. He uses the term \u201ccondition\u201d to acknowledge that many may see this as an issue, that may be inappropriate or weird for an older man to so deeply align with music for teenagers. His awareness of the absurdity of his situation results in many humorous lines to further describe his \u201ccondition\u201d. For example, in the 1990s, while Brooks\u2019 hands \u201c<\/span>were writing and editing conservative editorials for The Wall Street Journal; [his] ears were straight outta Compton.\u201d Here, Brooks compares how straight-edged his work is to how diverse his musical tastes are. The reader laughs at the image of a Wall Street Journal writer listening to rap. <\/span>According to \u201cManaging Emotions in Public: The Case of Wheelchair Users\u201d, reflecting on \u201cembarrassing events\u201d with humor \u201creduces their seriousness and thereby lessens potentially embarrassing concern about them\u201d. Humor is effective in supporting social interactions as it is a means of \u201callaying anxiety\u201d (Cahill and Eggleston, 4-5,1994). While sharing his musical taste may be considered embarrassing because people may be shocked by it, Brooks uses humor to make light of an embarrassing situation. By acknowledging the weirdness of it, the reader is encouraged to laugh with Brooks rather than at him. Brooks manages his expression of emotions by using humor. The reader might have perceived him as eccentric, but, because of his use of humor, Brooks is perceived as sharp and wise. <\/span><\/p>\n

Brooks describes the 2000s as \u201cridiculous. [He] was a suburban guy with a minivan. Why was [he] grooving along as Katy Perry sang \u201cI kissed a girl and I liked it\u201d? Why [is he] continually listening to high school breakup songs when [he is] at an age when[he] can barely remember high school?\u201d Again, Brooks paints an image that is very comedic for the reader. Brooks once again employs humor to manage his emotional display. He appears self-aware rather than self-conscious. Brooks then explores the answers to these questions, to why he is so attached to modern music: \u201c<\/span>Perhaps it\u2019s because Billy Idol offered subtle observations on the human condition\u2026.Perhaps it\u2019s because Destiny\u2019s Child offers an inspiring vision of the beloved community\u2026 Perhaps, it\u2019s because Taylor Swift \u2026 well \u2026 she just gets me: \u2018I\u2019m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.\u2019\u201d Here, Brooks shows the wide applicability of lyrics and does it in a comedic way. He communicates the power music has to make its listeners feel seen and recognized. In explaining his obsession with current music, Brooks acknowledges both the humor in his musical taste relative to his age and the universal relatability of the music. Instead of viewing himself with aversion, Brooks looks to his musical taste with humor\u2014 he pokes fun at the absurdity of it and espouses why more people might want to be like him. He uses humor to turn self-conscious emotions into ones that are proud. Brooks even turns absurdity on its head, saying that maybe it\u2019s more absurd <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> to listen to current music: \u201cI used to wonder why I listen to music that describes experiences completely irrelevant to my actual life. Unlike 50 Cent, you rarely find me in the club, bottle full of bub. But maybe that\u2019s a feature, not a bug. Escapism seems like a mindless waste of time until you open the newspaper and consider the alternative.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Analysis of <\/strong>Joyce Walder\u2019s \u201cFarewell, My Lovely Inheritance\u201d<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
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Juliette Borda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NY Times writer Joyce Walder\u2019s \u201cFarewell, My Lovely Inheritance\u201d is a self-lacerating read that explores the human struggle of grappling with the oncoming death of a loved one. Walder discusses her feelings towards her mother\u2019s death: pain because of her mother\u2019s worsening self-loathing because she fixates on the inheritance she will receive, self-loathing as she laments the loss of funds due to her mother\u2019s extensive care. Walder describes her plan to \u201c<\/span>erect a monument that will equal the Taj Mahal in terms of loss and despair\u201d in order to secure her inheritance: \u201cThe size of a birdhouse, I\u2019m thinking. Not just any birdhouse, a birdhouse for old, infirm birdies, with a special area for art therapy and birdie bingo.\u201d She discusses that she does not have enough funds for a larger monument than a birdhouse. Walder is funny in multiple avenues. We laugh because she acknowledges her struggle to demonstrate her grief for her mother in the most extravagant way but she lacks the capacity to do so in more forms than providing \u201ca special area\u201d in the bird house. We laugh because she is aware that she does not do this out of sole love for her mother but also greed: \u201cGoddamn it, I wanted that money.\u201d Greed can result in an emotional display that is unlikable and alienating, but Walder uses humor to present her darker emotions in a way that is self-aware and relatable. Thus, using humor, Walder turns potential alienation into an avenue to connect with others. In <\/span>\u201cManaging Emotions in Public: The Case of Wheelchair Users\u201d, humor \u201creduces their seriousness and thereby lessens \u2026concern about them\u201d<\/span>. Walder thus \u201creduces\u201d the \u201cseriousness\u201d of her grief and greed, and the reader is lulled into thinking them lighter topics <\/span>(Cahill and Eggleston, 4-5,1994)<\/span>. Instead of perceiving Walder as evil or unlikeable, the reader perceives Walder to be self-aware and personable because of the outward display of confidence her humor produces.. Walder owns the darkness in her personal desires: \u201cI know. I know. It\u2019s appalling to be thinking about an inheritance\u2026.I have an urgent P.M. from my Better Self: <\/span>As ever, you disgust me. This is our mother\u2019s one precious life.<\/span><\/i>\u201d. Her acknowledgment of the reader\u2019s potential perspective of her desires is comedic and displays the complexity of human experience: the competing desires of love and greed and ending prolonged pain. Walder reflects on her experience humorously as another avenue to process her feelings: instead of feeling self-revulsion, she can feel grounded in reflecting on the many sides of herself. Walder\u2019s humor is effective in managing Walder\u2019s emotions and outward display such that the reader likes her, despite the ambiguity of her morals. Walder sums up the complexity of her situation: \u201cThen I go home and write the checks and think what a good daughter is never supposed to think: Farewell, my lovely inheritance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n



<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Analysis of Jessica Testa’s\u00a0\u201cHow Not to Be a Character in a \u2018Bad Fashion Movie\u2019\u201d\u00a0 NY Times writer Jessica Testa\u2019s \u201cHow Not to Be a Character in a \u2018Bad Fashion Movie\u2019\u201d is an interview with Laura Brown, who recently lost her job as editor-in-chief at InStyle Magazine. Though many might expect Brown to grieve her job […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":153,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-posts","8":"entry"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-30-at-3.15.34-PM-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/597\/2020\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-30-at-3.15.34-PM-600x522.png","author_info":{"display_name":"David Israel","author_link":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/author\/disrael\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/sociology-2310-fall-2022-group-6\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}