'Humor is healing': Laughter soothes nerves during COVID-19 trauma
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans are employing humor as a balm to soothe nerves during the coronavirus pandemic, flocking to new Instagram stars like Quentin Quarantino and sharing Facebook memes about taking off bras and pants and putting on weight in self-quarantine.
MENTAL ARMOR
At an otherwise grim news conference to update on the state’s COVID-19 death toll and infection numbers, Kentucky officials this week showed photographs of sidewalks chalked with light-hearted sayings, and Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack told reporters, “Humor is healing.” Comedy can serve as mental armor to ensure safe passage through tragic times, says psychologist Sean Truman of St. Paul, Minnesota. “It’s a really powerful way to manage the unmanageable. Just to make fun of it and to gain control by laughing at it. That’s a really powerful psychological move we can make,” Truman said. With New York at the epicenter of the US crisis, Governor Andrew Cuomo enlisted comic actor Danny DeVito to drive home the very serious message about self-quarantining.“Stay home,” DeVito, 75, said in a widely aired public service announcement. “We got this virus, this pandemic, and you know young people can get it, and they can transmit it to old people, and the next thing you know - ‘Gghhhhkk, I’m outta there!’” After production of their late-night television talk shows was shut down, comedians Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah are streaming their monologues online. Millions watched as Fallon sat on his front porch and rewarded himself for landing jokes told only to his laptop computer by pressing a button that delivered canned laughter and applause.Danny DeVito wants you to stay home and save lives.#NewYorkStateStrongerTogether @DannyDeVito pic.twitter.com/7V8yXbqHwB
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 22, 2020
A recent episode of "The Light Show with Stephen Colb-Air - We're All In This Together," recorded on Colbert's front porch, featured a mock horse race. One thoroughbred “Does This Cough Mean Anything?” vied for the lead with “Maybe This Will All Blow Over.” And the winner “by three lengths!” announced the breathless sportscaster, was “Generalized Anxiety.”#FallonAtHome Episode 3 is live! Jimmy performs his monologue, reads his favorite #MyQuarantineInSixWords tweets, and virtually chats with Jennifer Garner. Plus, a special surprise for his daughters! https://t.co/q5a55Defzd pic.twitter.com/qg4UQ1zymr
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) March 20, 2020