2008 Woodie Awards
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University professor leaves City Club members laughing
No "real good data' explains the biological response to humor, professor says
by Lisa Anderson | Freelance reporter |
Tublitz acknowledged that while humor has been studied by researchers, humor is a complex brain process that will take years to understand.
When audience members asked Tublitz questions, he prefaced many of his answers: "We just don't know all the details yet. There's no good answer. It's extremely complex and there's no real good data. We're building a 100-story building, trying to understand the brain. We have 95 stories to go."
During the question and answer section of the presentation, audience members inquired about tickling; profanity in humor; how sense of humor develops; the relation of intelligence to humor; dying laughing; cultural understandings of humor; and inappropriate laughter.
"We're inhibited about laughing hysterically. When we let it out, it comes out fully. It's like a tape. You have to play it to completion," said Tublitz, who also talked about the lack of humor in politics. "Laughter and politics are generally not seen as positive and not used together very often," he said.
Audience members wondered why children are more susceptible to tickling than adults or elderly people. Responses to tickling may change because of puberty and adaptation to tactile stimulus, said Tublitz.
Chrisanne Becker, a City Club administrator, said the turn-out was high and the presentation topic grabbed members' attention. "This is unusual for us," she said. "It was a lighter touch and that's good."
At the end of his presentation, Tublitz left his audience with a more serious message.
"We have too little laughter. If we all added a little levity, our lives would be better," he said.
When audience members asked Tublitz questions, he prefaced many of his answers: "We just don't know all the details yet. There's no good answer. It's extremely complex and there's no real good data. We're building a 100-story building, trying to understand the brain. We have 95 stories to go."
During the question and answer section of the presentation, audience members inquired about tickling; profanity in humor; how sense of humor develops; the relation of intelligence to humor; dying laughing; cultural understandings of humor; and inappropriate laughter.
"We're inhibited about laughing hysterically. When we let it out, it comes out fully. It's like a tape. You have to play it to completion," said Tublitz, who also talked about the lack of humor in politics. "Laughter and politics are generally not seen as positive and not used together very often," he said.
Audience members wondered why children are more susceptible to tickling than adults or elderly people. Responses to tickling may change because of puberty and adaptation to tactile stimulus, said Tublitz.
Chrisanne Becker, a City Club administrator, said the turn-out was high and the presentation topic grabbed members' attention. "This is unusual for us," she said. "It was a lighter touch and that's good."
At the end of his presentation, Tublitz left his audience with a more serious message.
"We have too little laughter. If we all added a little levity, our lives would be better," he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
heckler
posted 4/28/08 @ 11:16 AM PST
see another review here:
p://harbaughboyz.blogspot.com/2008/04/lenny-bruce-tublitz.html
Check
posted 7/09/08 @ 6:37 PM PST
warning:
"heckler" is Deb Frisch.
Deborah Frisch's record of harassment, stalking, libel, intentional infliction of emotional distress, etc., is well-documented. (Continued…)
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