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Nshima & Curry

Melvin's  Blog

Nshima & Curry

CRYING ALL THE WAY TO THE PUB

It may not come as a surprise to you, but the British aren't
laughing as much as they used to. It's truly a sad state of
affairs, considering the British have long been on the
forefront of laughter, giving us such comedic geniuses as
P.G. Wodehouse, Douglas Adams, and Mr. Bean. And let's not
forget the mischievous Benny Hill, who put his talented
hands into hundreds, perhaps thousands, of skirts. I mean,
skits.

Hill would be rolling in his grave if he saw the recent
laughter study, conducted by the cruise company Ocean
Village. It found that Britons are laughing an average of
only six minutes a day, which, by sheer coincidence, is also
the amount of time they spend reading about Charles and
Camilla.

Of course, six minutes may seem like a lot, especially if
you work at the immigration office, where even smiling is
forbidden. But Britons laughed three times as much in the
1950s, a healthy 18 minutes a day, according to Amanda Bate
of Ocean Village. They laughed at home, they laughed at
work, they even laughed at the proctologist's office. "Stop
it, Dr. Bhatt! That tickles!"

"The findings of this study show a worrying trend towards
glumness," Bate told the French Press Agency. Indeed, on
special occasions in London, you may even spot Queen
Elizabeth leading children in a popular song: "If you're
glum and you know it, clap your hands!"

The study showed that about 40 percent of Britons don't even
get one belly laugh a day on average.

London woman: "What's a belly laugh? Can't say I've heard of
it."

Husband: "It's what Americans do. They see someone with a
big belly and they laugh at them."

So why are the British not laughing much? It depends on whom
you ask.

American comedian: "I'm not surprised the Brits aren't
laughing. Have you ever watched a British comedy? LOL!
Laughing out little."

British comedian: "Well, have you ever watched an American
comedy? LOL! Leaving out laughter."

American: "Oh, get real, man. Even our politicians are
funnier than yours."

Briton: "That's true, old chap. George Bush has a funnier
face than Tony Blair."

Ask a historian about the laughter decline and her theory
will be slightly different: "The British used to laugh a
lot, but that was during the days of the British Empire,
when they controlled the world. When they found diamonds in
South Africa, they laughed. When they found gold in Southern
Rhodesia, they laughed. When they found Gandhi organizing
non-violent resistance in India, they really laughed."

But the Ocean Village study suggests other reasons for the
laughter decline, including concerns about money and
relationships. Lack of money can certainly affect the amount
of laughter in your life. Have you seen how much the
Seinfeld DVD costs? Tickets to a Jerry Seinfeld stand-up
show are so expensive, you'll have to charge them to
American Express. But you'll be following the wisdom of
the day: Laugh now, cry later.

As Bate points out, "Laughter is an essential ingredient of
a healthy, happy life and is one of the most effective and
immediate antidotes to stress and tension -- it really is
the best medicine." That's why it's important for other
countries to share their laughter secrets with Britain:

America: "Don't make people have to go to the circus to see
clowns. Give them their own TV shows."

Spain: "Let the bulls run through the streets. Then visit
the hospital and laugh at all the idiots."

India: "Elect movie stars to public office. They'll
entertain you every day, without making you buy a ticket."

France: "Use a bidet. It tickles."

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