To Laugh or Not to Laugh: A Comedy Column for Humor in Humorless Times

There is a wise saying that goes along the lines of “laughter is the best medicine.” Well, given our current situation, I would like to make that a conditional statement: “Laughter is the best medicine, except in the event of no mask-wearing or social distancing. In that case, laughter is the best spreader of COVID-19.”

I want you to picture yourself on the night of Dec. 31, 2019. Think about the misplaced excitement that you felt as the clock struck midnight, imagining the untold potential of a new year. Oh man, were we off! If there ever was a series of unfortunate events, this year was its premier. However, even in all the turmoil that these past months have brought us, not every aspect of life has been that bad.

In case you haven’t been keeping up, the internet has been gifting us with some of the best content it has had in a hot minute. From the memes to voice-over videos to cringey challenges, it’s been giving. I know that for me, being able to turn to a source where I know I will be able to laugh and get my mind off current matters has been all it has taken to make my day better, even in the most exasperating of times. And while some may see the generous amount of time spent scrolling through memes and videos as a waste of time, my precarious state of mind would happily say otherwise.

So, it is for this reason that I will be making it my sworn (and paid) duty throughout this year to make sure that despite the very depressing weeks and months we have ahead of us — looking at my nursing majors — there will be one more source of serotonin stimulation, where you can hopefully find at least one funny thing to (safely) laugh at. Be it through jokes, satire, quizzes or any other form of entertainment that I can think of, just know that this will be the spot for you. 

Dad Joke of the Week:

Why doesn’t Will Smith like quantum mechanics?

Because of quantum entanglement.

Samuel Ortiz is a Sophomore

Nursing Major from

Orlando, Florida