You know: in a foolish, undiscriminating way, I've been happy these last few months. I don't know why. I just am. I love my friends; I love my pupils; I love what I read; I -- dammit -- love my thoughts. I love the taste of oranges.
Thornton Wilder in a letter to Gertrude Stein, Aug 14, 1936

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

GREAT MOMENTS IN COMEDY (1)

Under the mask of humor, our society allows infinite aggressions, by everyone and against everyone. In the culminating laugh by the witness or observer -- whose position is also really that of victim or butt -- the teller of the joke betrays his hidden hostility and signals his victory by being theoretically at least, the one person present who does not laugh.

G. Legman, The  Rationale of the Dirty Joke 

     

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