It, probably, is.
Laughter is evoked as a result of humour enjoyed. Hear or read a joke, respond to it, and it elicits positive emotions and a deep, internal, massage. You may even enjoy an endorphin boost; way more efficient than that earned from running.
I enjoy most kinds of humour, even the dark, satirical, and cheeky ones. I love, especially, children’s humour. As a corporate trainer, I share jokes and riddles in my workshops. My students tend to enjoy this form of humour. I teach a management class called ‘Using Humour At The Workplace’, because managers realise the relevance of applying it in meetings and presentations.
I tend to avoid humour that may be discriminating, disrespectful, and uncomfortable. I have learnt that there is a time and a place to share jokes as were used in comedy clubs or on-stage.
Humour is useful in stage presentations. I learnt from speaker Wolfgang Riebe, to compile jokes and riddles for each category or profession. Choose them for each specific audience. This is a very useful way to use your non-working time, as you can enjoy these juicy bits of business, and then record them.
Telling a joke requires practice, rehearsals and, above all, testing it out on smaller, forgiving audiences. As a playwright, I experiment with new material and test it out and Facebook and Twitter. Sure, I do get the occasional groans, but when you hit a gem, and your friends help you build on it – you keep it!
Borrow material, modify it, but acknowledge sources when you can. It is a respectful thing to do, as theft of intellectual property is still rampant among entertainers, too. Remember to credit comedians, photographers, writers, artists – professional and amateurs – and hope they keep creating original content.
Be funny, but be nice.
Enrico Varella 