General Introduction

Laughter, its meaning, and propriety have occupied the minds of philosophers, moralists, and dramatists as far back as Antiquity. In a modern context, laughter is typically associated with humor and joy, but not all laughter is the fruit of the former and even less so the latter. On the contrary, laughter has been associated with ridicule, degradation, and the vulgarity of the lower classes. As such, laughter’s rebellious and disciplining impact has been both acknowledged and feared. The notion of laughter as a positive, involuntary physical reaction associated with harmless joy is, at least in the Western world, a modern construct with a short history.1 On a more theoretical level, laughter may be defined as a fundamental human behavior with a strong social aspect that is often but not necessarily related to humor. It is a particular kind of facial and vocal expression that can be inviting and repelling, inclusive and exclusive, evoke sympathy, and mobilize derision. Thus, we can both laugh at and laugh with others.2 Depending on who is laughed at and from which social position, laughter can be disciplining and rebellious, repressive and subversive, or self-ironic and self-degrading.