Men And Women Slave Masters Essay - 1,134 words

Professor Jim Gray of Sonoma State University defines culture as a means of survival. Going by this definition of culture the evolution of black humor has definitely been a foundation in the survival of the comedy in America. This paper will be a discussion of how African American Humor has evolved and for centuries has changed and continues to change the way we look at comedy. Before beginning this paper, I must stress the importance of humor for all races.


Truly, the environment in which most humor takes place has helped American culture and people survive. According to Constance Rourke, humor is important because: " 1. Humor is a part of the natural life process and is commonly taken for granted or not recognized as having serious importance. The fact that humor is a framework for 'non-real' or 'play' activity and not taken as a 'serious' interaction allows messages and formulations to be 'risked' within its framework which would not otherwise be acceptable or possible. 3. Humor allows the exploration of new ideas in situations of uncertainty or unfamiliarity. Similarly allowed are the negotiation of taboo topics, sensitive issues, and marginal serious content. 4.


Humor performs a boundary function on both internal and external lines, policing groups in terms of membership and acceptable and competence behavior. 5. Humor can function as a coping device to release tension, allay fear, forestall threat, defuse aggression or distance the unpleasant. 6. Humor can represent an implicit contradiction, paradox or 'joke in the social structure' made explicit. The 'joke' constitutes a reversal within its boundaries of the patterns of control in the real world. 7. 'Canned' jokes and 'situational' jokes are not entirely separate.


Canned jokes are not sealed from the situation in which they are told as they always affect it and incorporate interaction into their pattern; situation jokes always have some impact beyond their context. Langston Hughes says, "Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it. Of course, you laugh by proxy. You " re really laughing at the other guy lacks, not your own. That's what makes it funny-The fact that you don't know you are laughing at yourself. Humor is when the joke is on you but hits the other fellow first-Because it boomerangs.


Humor is what you wish in your secret heart were not funny, but it is, and you must laugh. Humor is your unconscious therapy" (Hughes, 1966) Laughter for centuries has been the medicine that has helped to ensure the survival of African Americans. "Herded together with others with whom they shared only a common condition of servitude and some degree of cultural overlap, enslaved Africans were compelled to create a new language, a new religion, and a precarious new lifestyle. " (Joyner, 1984) As Africans were unloaded by boat and placed onto plantations, slave masters were completely enthralled by the way they spoke, moved, and danced. Out of slavery emerged a culture that would influence America's mainstream culture for infinity. Slavery created bondage for Africans and when it looked like they were going nowhere fast; they laughed, sang, and amused one another with riddles, jokes and animal tales from the homeland.


Slave masters could not conceive why slaves in such a miserable state were so joyous, what they did not know was many of the ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: african american, golden gates, men and women, white folks, slave masters

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