LIFESTYLE NEWS - “Three guys go to a bottle store; it was closed so I can’t finish the joke.”

How many quips like these have you seen or heard since the start of lockdown? Probably hundreds. 

Comedy seems to be the trusted go-to for South Africans whenever adversity strikes. 

Easy access to a range of social media platforms and free graphic editing tools made it possible to interact with people around the globe and expand our repertoire even more.

A joking exterior often hides a deep sadness. Many comedy actors such as Robin Williams admitted to suffering from depression and keeping it at bay with humour. The well-known local standup comedian Barry Hilton recently thanked his fans on his Facebook page for helping him cope with depression through witty and joking interaction.

Fortunately not every South African has clinical depression, but why dó we joke?

Maybe the answer lies partly in our social structure. We kuier and braai at the drop of a hat to make ourselves feel better and many memes and jokes are born around the fire.

Another possibility is the distrust of political figures that researchers found among many young South Africans. This fosters a sort of sceptical laughter as a way of poking fun at authority, minimising its scariness.

But mostly we are trying to take the sting out of this new threat that has taken over our daily lives and all our newscasts since the first local case of Covid-19 was announced. If we can laugh at the virus and the closed businesses and the empty shelves, maybe the unknown will become more manageable.

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