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"Matthew would enjoy the humour of it": Ironic detail spotted in Friends tribute

While many fans of the long-running sitcom Friends are in mourning over the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/you-were-loved-tributes-flow-over-tragic-passing-of-matthew-perry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sudden death</a> of Matthew Perry, others have delighted in an ironic detail surrounding the Friends apartment in New York. Since the announcement of Perry's death on Sunday, thousands of fans of the show has flocked to the apartment building in New York City's West Village, where the external shots of the gang's apartment was filmed, to pay their respects. While the sitcom, which ran for ten years from 1994, was actually filmed in Los Angeles, the Bedford Street address was used for the external shots of the New York-based show, with the humble apartment being home to each of the cast members during the show. Fans of the show have left notes, flowers, Central Perk memorabilia, and other sentimental items to pay tribute to the late actor. However, one eagle-eyed fan spotted a quirky detail hovering around the building, as Perry's death coincided with Halloween. <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKidspotAustralia%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02xSVyrpRthTeLeBNqtvHKWUB36us5bVB5vKCW1R9DYgF66kBWqnsSYarY2kDFfCT3l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="581" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Part of the building's Halloween decorations included a large ghost hovering near the iconic apartment, with many quick to point out the hilarious irony of the figure floating above the makeshift memorial. “That Halloween ghost is kinda fitting for the photo/mood and I think Matthew would enjoy the humour of it,” fan Holly astutely pointed out, sharing photos of the ghost on Facebook. The ironic decorations emerged shortly after Perry's Friends co-stars have <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/so-utterly-devastated-friends-cast-break-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broken their silence</a> over his sudden death in a group statement to People magazine. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer said on Tuesday, "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family." "There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss." 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display: inline-flex; flex-direction: column; row-gap: 0.3em; column-gap: 0.3em;" role="contentinfo"> <h1 class="title svelte-10zo7b2" style="text-shadow: 0px calc(var(--font-size) / 12.5) 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; font-size: 1.1em;">Rupert Friend Spills Secrets of 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' at Star Wars Celebrations</h1> <div class="share-button bar-button svelte-10zo7b2" style="text-shadow: 0px calc(var(--font-size) / 12.5) 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); width: var(--bar-button-size); height: var(--bar-button-size); margin-top: calc(-0.25 * var(--bar-button-size));"> <div class="button-element svelte-1eoizxx no-toggle-transform no-hover-transform" style="text-shadow: 0px calc(var(--font-size) / 12.5) 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); box-sizing: border-box; width: 38px; height: 38px; position: relative; cursor: pointer; pointer-events: initial; border-radius: var(--border-radius); --foreground-color: #ffffff; --border-radius: 50%; --icon-height: 16px; 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min-height: 12px; height: var(--icon-height); line-height: var(--icon-height); min-width: var(--icon-height); display: inline-flex; justify-content: center;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="start-time svelte-fllze1" style="text-shadow: 0px calc(var(--font-size) / 12.5) 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); top: calc(8px + var(--size-big-button)); position: absolute; left: 27px; transform: translate(-50%); background-color: var(--bg-color-pane); padding: 8px 16px; border-radius: 32px; font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: var(--margin-size); margin-left: 2px;" data-cy="start-screen-duration">01:31</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="center-area svelte-10zo7b2" style="text-shadow: 0px calc(var(--font-size) / 12.5) 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); flex-grow: 1;"> </div> </div> <div class="chrome-bottom-shadow svelte-10zo7b2" style="text-shadow: 0px calc(var(--font-size) / 12.5) 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25); transition: opacity 0.15s ease-in-out 0s; opacity: 0; position: absolute; inset: 0px;"> </div> </div> <div class="bb-layer bb-context-layer" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 730px; height: 411px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px; pointer-events: none !important;"> "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world." </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Caring

Protest is dangerous, but feminists have a long history of using humour, pranks and stunts to promote their message

Protest was dangerous in feminism’s formative years. The <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/womenvote/overview/startsuffragette-/">suffragettes</a> in the United Kingdom initially began by trying to persuade and educate to win women the right to vote. When that didn’t work they became frustrated – and, by 1903, radical. By the 1910s, they adopted militant tactics, with women on hunger strikes being force-fed in prison. It climaxed in 1913 when Emily Wilding Davidson, holding the suffragette flag, stepped in front of the horse of King George V at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qkU_imbFoE">Epsom Derby</a>. Her funeral, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EIFDSb7tWc">reportedly</a> watched by 50,000 people, gave a global profile to the women’s right-to-vote campaign. But while protest was very dangerous for first-wave feminists, subsequent Western activists often adopted pranks. There is an adage that feminists and women aren’t funny. However, the history of activism reveals humour as a successful strategy for change. Here are four great contemporary feminist pranks that demonstrate the power of humour for advocacy. <h2>1. A chain reaction</h2> On March 31 1965, feminist activists Rosalie Bogner and Merle Thornton walked into Brisbane’s Regatta hotel, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/curious-brisbane-when-was-the-ban-on-women-drinking-in-public/9518222">chaining themselves</a> to the foot rail of the front bar. They were protesting the exclusion of women from Queensland public bars. The police were called, smashed the padlock, and told them to leave. They refused. After some bemused and sympathetic men gave them glasses of beer, the officer gave up, telling the women to have “a good time” and “don’t drink too much”. They inspired women nationally to do the same. Laws had changed across Australia by the early 1970s. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/curious-brisbane-when-was-the-ban-on-women-drinking-in-public/9518222">According to</a> historian Kay Saunders, it was the “beginning of second-wave feminism” in Australia. <h2>2. Guerrilla Girls</h2> In 1985, the New York activist group Guerrilla Girls began their quest to counter the art world’s sexism, racism and inequality. They used gorilla masks to remain anonymous and emphasise that the message was paramount, not the activist. Guerrilla Girls famously erected posters and placed stickers protesting the lack of women in art galleries, asking “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?” <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8uKg7hb2yoo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Humour and statistics enhanced awareness, got people involved, and illuminated issues such as how few women of colour have their work exhibited. Since the Guerrilla Girls began four decades ago, their messages have continued to spread and hold institutions accountable. They have expanded their mission to important causes such as poverty and war, while continuing to change the art world’s attitudes and to merging art and politics. But the gender imbalance in art galleries is still a global issue. This is currently being countered with initiatives such as the National Gallery of Australia’s <a href="https://nga.gov.au/knowmyname/">Know My Name</a> campaign and efforts to write women <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-21/australian-women-artists-national-gallery-of-australia/12890818">back into art history</a>. <h2>3. Switcheroo</h2> In 1993 the Barbie Liberation Organization <a href="https://beautifultrouble.org/">undertook</a> a Christmas prank, swapping the voice boxes of 50 Barbie and G.I. Joe dolls. G.I. Joe now said “I love to shop with you” or “Let’s plan our dream wedding”. Barbie hollered “Dead men tell no lies” or “Attack!”. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cxiDlJ7nfLo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> With an aim to teach children about stereotypes, the <a href="https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/barbie-liberation-organization/">spectacle</a>made a huge media splash for the cause. The tactic is known as “shop-dropping”. The activist bought, altered and then dropped the dolls back on the shelves. The organisation arranged for children to comment to the media on gender stereotyping, and the press reported there were hundreds of dolls instead of just 50. Although impact is hard to measure, the prank created unprecedented media attention leading to the visibility of the organisation’s issues based video. It questioned the status quo regarding what girls can do and should think, promoting social change in exposing how toys shape ideology. It revealed the impact of gender stereotypes and their insidious sexism; the way war toys are role models; and the need for playthings to be more inclusive and diverse. Mattel, the company that makes Barbie, did not react, but later released toys indicating it had received the message. These include the <a href="https://creations.mattel.com/collections/barbie-inspiring-women-series#?page=1">Inspiring Women series</a> featuring the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Ella Fitzgerald and Jane Goodall. <h2>4. Sausage fest!</h2> At the 2016 Australian Film Institute’s premier event, the AACTA Awards, protesters from Women in Film and Television NSW blocked the red carpet dressed as sausages and chanting “end the sausage party”. The event was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=562946123902893">livestreamed on Facebook</a> after security gave them access, thinking they were part of the event. The women <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/07/protesters-gatecrash-aacta-awards-red-carpet-chanting-end-the-sausage-party">were protesting</a> for a quota system to improve the number of women working in the film and television industries. <a href="https://www.wiftaustralia.org.au/nsw-advocacy">They wanted</a> to highlight a lack of feature film judging transparency, the low proportion of nominations for women, and how few films were directed and driven by female creatives. <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/1ee452a2-3567-4398-86c3-56535f7d9827/screen-australia-proportion-of-women-in-creative-roles-all-formats-2021-2.jpg?ext=.jpg">Only 20%</a> of Australian-funded feature films have a female director. AACTA does not fund films and it is therefore the broader industry that urgently needs to lift female participation. Since the sausage prank, AACTA entry forms also ask about the diversity of the filmmakers, triggering producers to reflect on inclusion in their films. AACTA has also changed its eligibility rules, engaging with Women in Film and Television to expand eligibility beyond just films that received a theatrical release. This reduced barriers to entry; opportunities for women and diverse filmmakers are more frequently in independent or low-budget sectors, which don’t always attain release in commercial cinemas. This change in eligibility was <a href="https://www.filmink.com.au/public-notice/aacta-feature-film-eligibility-policy-changes-new-online-video-award-announced/">reported</a> as allowing greater inclusion and diversity. Recognition across society has come from a long line of feminist pranksters. But slow progress means there is still a long way to go to achieve equality and equity. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/protest-is-dangerous-but-feminists-have-a-long-history-of-using-humour-pranks-and-stunts-to-promote-their-message-199298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Caring

Grace Tame makes waves at comedy show

Grace Tame has tried her hand at comedy to the delight of attendees at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The 23-year-old Tasmanian appeared on a panel of comedians that touched on everything from climate change, housing affordability, and gender equality to Australia Day and misinformation and social media - all in a hilarious way, of course. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Last night’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ARationalFear?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ARationalFear</a> live show in Melbourne was 👌 <a href="https://twitter.com/GabbiBolt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GabbiBolt</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/aliterative?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aliterative</a> hilarious, Dane Simpson & <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TamePunk</a> both nailed it, <a href="https://twitter.com/Andy_McClelland?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Andy_McClelland</a> brought the bangers and <a href="https://twitter.com/vidyarrrr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vidyarrrr</a> was superb. Congrats <a href="https://twitter.com/danilic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@danilic</a>, creative director of Meta. Download the pod when it comes out — Charlotte George 🌈 (@ccl_george) <a href="https://twitter.com/ccl_george/status/1513289276813119488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote> She received the loudest applause as she was introduced by podcast host Dan Ilic, who pointed out how she was the master of the side-eye, referencing the famous photo of her and Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Lodge. After monologues from Ilic, Gabbi Bolt, Alice Fraser and Dane Simpson, it was Ms Tame’s turn. She joked that she wasn’t going to get political, apologising to anyone who came to see her take aim at Mr Morrison - at least not directly. “Grace Tame referring to no particular politician as ‘A giant self-saucing joke pudding’,” one attendee tweeted about Ms Tame’s monologue. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Wow! <a href="https://twitter.com/ARationalFear?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ARationalFear</a> was extraordinary... Thank you to the incredible team of<a href="https://twitter.com/vidyarrrr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vidyarrrr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Andy_McClelland?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Andy_McClelland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LewisHobba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LewisHobba</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/aliterative?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aliterative</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GabbiBolt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GabbiBolt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thedanesimpson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thedanesimpson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LewisHobba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LewisHobba</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zdaniel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zdaniel</a> And the incredible <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TamePunk</a> who brought the house down by comparing herself to an Airfryer. <a href="https://t.co/9QqNEEUPwU">pic.twitter.com/9QqNEEUPwU</a> — Dan Ilic (@danilic) <a href="https://twitter.com/danilic/status/1513254582864199680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote> Ms Tame also told stories about My Little Pony, her favourite show to watch as a child, with veiled references to Mr Morrison and his government. One of the characters who “sharted in Old MacDonald’s farm” was a particularly clear reference to the longstanding rumour that Mr Morrison soiled himself at a McDonald’s in Engadine in 1997. Ms Tame didn’t just focus on the PM, going on to describe NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham as her “favourite comedian”. A joke about someone claiming Tasmania wasn’t a real place led to Tame saying it was okay because she lived ‘rent-free’ in Mr Latham’s head, along with domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty (who he has publicly attacked), the 2004 election results (which saw him lost as Labor leader), and anyone who wasn’t a white man. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> To be clear, this isn’t a “career move”. Advocacy is my first priority, always. It’s my life and purpose. I ummed and aahed over whether or not this was the right thing to do. Would it send a hopeful, empowering message to survivors? Or would it trivialise the cause? <a href="https://t.co/UDGm7iE0UG">pic.twitter.com/UDGm7iE0UG</a> — Grace Tame (@TamePunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk/status/1512934253662654464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2022</a></blockquote> Before Sunday’s gig, Ms Tame took to social media to explain her decision to take part in the comedy festival and clarify it wasn’t a ‘career move’, as many outlets reported. “Advocacy is my first priority always. It’s my life and purpose. I ummed and aahed over whether or not this was the right thing to do,” she wrote on Sunday morning. “There are risks in doing this, as there are with just about anything else in this mad life. “Things have been especially tough lately. But I reckon we could use a laugh. Either way, the joke’s on me. And if I fail, I’ll pick myself up and move. “You never know unless you try.” The show, which also included Lewis Hobba and independent candidate Goldstein Zoe Danila as a special guest, was recorded and will be released as an episode of Ilic’s podcast A Rational Fear. Image: Twitter

Beauty & Style

Police offer “Valentine’s special” to exes in trouble with the law

Police departments have been using social media to share information about missing persons, recent investigations, and other issues within the community - and some have even gone viral doing so.One recent example comes from the Port Orange Police Department, in the US state of Florida, who embraced the spirit of anti-Valentine’s day in a tongue-in-cheek post <a href="https://www.facebook.com/popdpolice/posts/249494237366350" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling</a> on people to dob in their “ex-Valentines” who have been up to no good.“February kicked off the month for celebrating the love in your life, and we don’t want you to forget those ex’s (sic) that did you wrong either,” the department wrote on Facebook, shared alongside a romantic photo of handcuffs and roses.“Do you have an ex-Valentine and know they have outstanding warrants? Do you have information that they are driving with drugs in their car? Give us a call and we’ll take care of the rest.”<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/police-funny-valentines.png" alt="" width="663" height="767" />Port Orange Police received a flood of attention on their cheeky post calling on people to refer their “ex-Valentines” who may be in trouble with the law for a special experience. Image: Port Orange Police Department (Facebook)The post goes on to offer a special experience for those exes who are reported to authorities.“This Valentine’s Day month-long special starts off with a set of limited-edition platinum bracelets, free transportation and a chauffeur, a one-night minimum stay in luxurious accommodations and professional glamour shots that will be posted online for all to enjoy.“This special is capped off with a special Valentine’s dinner. We know this special is so incredible that you may be tempted to provide additional referrals. We don’t blame you, this special is too sweet to pass by!”In less than a day, the post has been flooded with hundreds of comments and shared over 1,400 times.“This is hands down the best thing I’ve ever seen,” one person commented.“Genius! Ex’s might want to be nice right now,” another joked.Others praised the person behind the post, calling them a “genius” and suggesting they should get a raise.“This is the best thing I’ve read in a long time. Hands down to the creator of this post,” one person enthused.“I don’t know who thought up this idea but just wanted to say, ‘I THINK he or she is a “GENIUS”, WHO DESERVES A HUGE RAISE.“P💓R💓I💓C💓E💓L💓E💓S💓S!”The post was soon picked up by the NSW Police Force page - also known for its cheeky posts - and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nswpoliceforce/posts/318087973696962" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> with the caption, “Have you heard the news? Port Orange Police Department’s Valentine’s Day Weekend Special has been extended to New South Wales 🌹”.“To claim, contact Crime Stoppers and we’ll take it from there 😉”.<img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/nsw-police.png" alt="" width="781" height="687" />NSW Police quickly got in on the joke, claiming the special Valentine’s offer was now available in New South Wales. Image: NSW Police Force (Facebook)Their post was almost as popular, with many praising the post and getting in on the joke as well.“Love it, handcuffs and a long stem red rose, what a great combination,” one person wrote.“Does it count if they commit crimes against fashion?!” another said.“Why do I love this so much,” a third asked. “Do you give them a card from the ex as well to make it extra special?”A fourth commented, “And they say romance is dead.”Image: Port Orange Police Department (Facebook)

Legal

Hilarious signs that prove we can still laugh, despite a global pandemic

There’s no doubt that since the coronavirus pandemic hit at the beginning of 2020, things have been very difficult for everyone. While people have been staying inside due to lockdown restrictions, many local businesses have been trying to keep spirits high with a unique sense of humour. Cinemas, dentists, schools, churches and many more establishments have proven that even in the face of a global pandemic, we can still laugh! With some businesses poking fun at the difficulties of home learning, while others stipulating who can enter their locked-down home, these are some of the best signs with a Covid message. These unique and hilarious signs just go to show that we can all stick together (metaphorically speaking) and make it through the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic with our humour intact. All image credits: Reddit

Travel Trouble

Knock Knock. Who's there? How humour helps our health

From graphic clips depicting patients struggling to breathe to groan-worthy puns, governments are trying all sorts of approaches to increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. But, new research has identified a different approach health messaging can use: humour. According to the research, injecting some humour into health messages can be especially effective when the information could cause fear, acting as an “emotional buffer” when talking about breast and testicular cancer self-checks, safe sex, skin cancer, and binge drinking. Leading the study was Elaine Miller, a Scottish comedian and women’s health physiotherapist, and a team of researchers from Monash University. By analysing 13 studies spanning ten years that looked at how humour was used to communicate serious messages, the team made some interesting findings. “What we found is that humour can act as an effective vehicle for delivering messages people might find fear-inducing or threatening,” Ms Miller said. “Humour, if used well, can be an emotional buffer that breaks down some of that fear so the underlying messages reach the intended audience and influence their behaviours and attitudes.” However, Ms Miller pointed out that “a poorly judged joke can ruin a health campaign’s message, a therapeutic relationship, a gig; or all three at once”. “Humour is very complex and further research to examine humour and public health promotion is certainly warranted.” One Australian campaign that mixed humour with a public safety message was created by Metro Trains Melbourne, with their Dumb Ways to Die campaign featuring characters falling victim to a variety of unusual deaths. “Humour is enjoyable. People are drawn to it - they want to look at it and be part of it,” said Helen Skouteris, the head of Monash University’s Health and Social Care Unit. “Importantly, this review highlighted that humour can be utilised as a tool to encourage conversation and sharing. “It’s not just a way to send a message but actually encourages people to talk about it and be open with others, which we believe can lead to influencing society’s perceptions and behaviours around important health prevention messages.” The study was published online in the <a rel="noopener" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1753-6405.13142" target="_blank">Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health</a>.

Caring

Queen stuns with hilarious sword play

On Friday, the Queen attended a reception with volunteers who are working to organise the Platinum Jubilee, which is a celebration to mark her 70th year on the throne. The event will take place next year, but the Queen attended the reception with daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and granddaughter-in-law, Kate Middleton. The volunteers surprised the Queen with a massive celebratory cake, which she decided to cut with a ceremonial sword. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQA4mtul6Lz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQA4mtul6Lz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge)</a> </div> </blockquote> When someone at the event pointed out there was a smaller knife available, the Queen wasn't having any of it. "I know there is," she said politely. "This is something that is more unusual." She needed help cutting a slice from Camilla, but commented that it "looks very good". After cutting the first few slices, the Queen decided to use the knife that was available, but many were impressed by the decision to use a ceremonial sword.

Beauty & Style

If you laugh at these dark jokes, you’re probably a genius

Body:A man walks into a rooftop bar and takes a seat next to another guy. “What are you drinking?” he asks the guy. “Magic beer,” he says. “Oh, yeah? What’s so magical about it?” Then he shows him: He swigs some beer, dives off the roof, flies around the building, then finally returns to his seat with a triumphant smile. “Amazing!” the man says. “Lemme try some of that!” The man grabs the beer. He downs it, leaps off the roof – and plummets 15 storeys to the ground. The bartender shakes his head. “You know, you’re a real jerk when you’re drunk, Superman.” — Let’s ignore for a moment whether or not that poor rube survived his fall (if it makes you feel better, let’s say Trampoline Man was waiting for him on the ground). The real question is: did you find this joke funny? Sick? Maybe a little of both? According to a <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10339-016-0789-y">study</a> published in the journal Cognitive Processing, your reaction could indicate your intelligence. In the paper, a team of psychologists concludes that people who appreciate dark humour – defined as “humour that treats sinister subjects like death, disease, deformity, handicap or warfare with bitter amusement and presents such tragic, distressing or morbid topics in humorous terms” – may have higher IQs, show lower aggression and resist negative feelings more effectively than people who turn up their noses at it. To test this correlation between sense of humour and intellect, researchers had 156 male and female participants read 12 bleak cartoons from The Black Book by German <a href="http://www.ulistein.de/">cartoonist</a> Uli Stein. (<a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10339-016-0789-y">One</a> of them, which paraphrases a classic joke, shows a mortician reaching deep into a cadaver as a nurse muses, “The autopsy is finished; he is only looking for his wrist watch.”) Participants indicated whether they understood each joke and whether they found it funny, then took some basic IQ tests and answered questionnaires about their mood, aggressive tendencies and educational background. The results were remarkably consistent: Participants who both comprehended and enjoyed the dark jokes showed higher IQs and reported less aggressive tendencies than those who did not. Incidentally, the participants who least liked the humour showed the highest levels of aggression and the worst moods of the bunch. The latter point makes sense when you consider the widely-studied health benefits of laughter and smiling; if you aren’t able to greet negativity with playful optimism, of course you will feel worse. But what about the link to intelligence? According to the <a href="http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/01/a-twisted-sense-of-humor-just-means-youre-a-chill-genius.html">researchers</a>, processing a dark joke takes a bit more mental gymnastics than, say, a knock-knock joke – it’s “a complex information-processing task” that requires parsing multiple layers of meaning, while creating a bit of emotional distance from the content so that it registers as benign instead of hostile. That emotional manoeuvering is what sets dark jokes apart from, say, puns, which literally pit your brain’s right and left hemispheres <a href="http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/12/heres-what-happens-in-your-brain-when-you-hear-a-pun.html">against each other</a> as you process a single word’s multiple meanings, but usually don’t force you out of your emotional comfort zone. Tina Fey sums up the difference pretty well: “If you want to make an audience laugh, you dress a man up like an old lady and push her down the stairs. If you want to make comedy writers laugh, you push an actual old lady down the stairs.” The takeaway: Pretty much any joke that relies on wordplay will put your brain to work – dark jokes just require a bit more emotional control to earn a laugh.

Mind

13 of the funniest obituaries that really exist

Tickled to death Gosh, people really do just stop in their tracks to be quietly amazed and entertained by the people they love, and then file that image away to later craft into funny obituaries and eulogies capable of bringing down the house. Some of these are so pithy they should be written in stone (and some of them were – to make the funniest tombstones that actually exist). “It pains me to admit it, but apparently I have passed away.” “Everyone told me it would happen one day, but that’s simply not something I wanted to hear, much less experience,” Emily DeBrayda Phillips goes on to explain. Emily DeBrayda Phillips’ obituary is hilariously self-written and self-aware about her existence and end: “If you want to, you can look for me in the evening sunset or with the earliest spring daffodils or among the flitting and fluttering butterflies. You know I’ll be there in one form or another. Of course, that will probably be comfort to some while antagonising others, but you know me…it’s what I do.” She concludes with simple instructions: “If you don’t believe it, just ask me. Oh wait, I’m afraid it’s too late for questions. Sorry.” “Her last words were ‘tell them that check is in the mail.’” Jean Larroux III and Hayden Hoffman decided to honour their mother, notable Waffle House patron (and library fine-avoider) Antonia “Toni” Larroux, with an obituary that reads like a standup set. “We started to write a normal [obituary],” Larroux III told HuffPost, before realising “mum would be so ashamed.” Some of its greatest hits include, “She conquered polio as a child, contributing to the nickname ‘polio legs,’ given by her ex-husband. It should not be difficult to imagine the reasons for their divorce 35+ years ago,” and, “She considered Aaron Burrell a distant grandson (not distant enough).” However, the siblings rounded out the seemingly blithe memorial with a rather moving annotation: “On a last but serious note, the woman who loved her life and taught her children to ‘laugh at the days to come’ is now safely in the arms of Jesus and dancing at the wedding feast of the Lamb. Anyone wearing black will not be admitted to the memorial. She is not dead. She is alive.” Who is cutting onions in here? “Bill Brown finally stopped bugging everybody.” Rabblerouser Bill Brown’s obituary details his lifelong commitment to mischief, all the way up until he roused his last rabble in October 2013. Notable rabble: “Right to the end, he would do things like racing to beat other oldsters to empty chairs,” and meeting his wife, Ruth, while “trying to scare neighbour kids by acting like a barking dog when he threw open the front door, only to find himself barking at the Avon lady.” “Your father is a very sick man.” “You have no idea.” There is no better legacy than a laugh – and Joe Heller and his daughters all know it. When Heller was born, his daughters note, “God thankfully broke the mould.” The daughters go on to profile the lifelong jester: “His mother was not immune to his pranks as he named his first dog ‘Fart’ so she would have to scream his name to come home. … The family encourages you to don the most inappropriate t-shirt that you are comfortable being seen in public with, as Joe often did.” “Faced with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, Mary Anne chose to pass into the eternal love of God.” A regular Jane like me or you, Ms Mary Anne Alfriend Noland passed just six months before the 2016 election, to which her obituary references an extreme aversion. She was born, raised, and now rests in Virginia, USA – a swing state. “Jesus had a backache only the world’s greatest chiropractor could fix.” Well, it appears Jesus had what could only be described as an unholy kink in his back, and Dr Mark Flanagan was there to make a house call. Not only was Dr Flanagan described as the “world’s greatest chiropractor,” but he also had “more dolphin paraphernalia than a gift shop at one of those places with actual dolphins.” “Take magazines you’ve already read to your doctor’s office. Do not tear off the mailing label, ‘Because if someone wants to contact me, that would be nice.’” This is less the funniest obituary you’ll ever read and more the sweetest obituary you’ll ever read. Mary “Pink” Mullaney’s obituary is chock-full of advice from both the most lovable and loving soul to grace God’s green Earth, apparently: “If a possum takes up residence in your shed, grab a barbecue brush to coax him out. If he doesn’t leave, brush him for 20 minutes and let him stay. Go to church with a chicken sandwich in your purse. Give the chicken sandwich to a homeless friend after mass. Go to a nursing home and kiss everyone. Put picky-eating children at the bottom of the laundry shoot, tell them they are hungry lions in a cage, and feed them veggies through the slats.” “First Church of God, which she attended for 60 years in spite of praise music and A/V presentations.” Betty Jo Passmore passed away in 2014, and her obituary recounts her love of her family, mystery novels, and dark chocolate – and her absolute ire for praise music and A/V presentations. That Ms Passmore used her final stamp on this earthly world to drag out a lifelong beef just a little longer is hilarious and iconic. “Who the h*** taught her to fly?” Lois Ann Harry’s obituary exposes her as a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Originally from Idaho Falls – or is she?—Harry’s last confirmed sighting reports her departure from the Homestead wearing dark glasses and an ushanka. “Authorities are baffled by the disappearance of the 88-year-old woman, how she gained access to the aircraft, and who the h*** taught her how to fly,” the obituary reads. Even more baffling are her children’s contradictory assertions of her life: some swear she’s a pastry chef and freelance food critic, a professional gambler and race car driver, a square dancer, a botanist who ran a chain of recreational marijuana dispensaries in Washington state, and more. Ever a woman of mystery, she “loved her life, family, and friends but would prefer that you not follow her to Bermuda.” “She wants her gold teeth back from the dentist that yanked them – those were HERS to keep.” This is exactly the kind of witticism you would expect in the obituary of someone who also requested “Another One Bites the Dust” be played at her funeral. Even more charming, Karen Short was affectionally referred to as “Hot Dog Lady” by the students who frequented her hot dog stand. Give Hot Dog Lady her gold teeth back! But overall, it’s actually a very moving, very touching obituary. “She loved [her family] more than anything else in the world…except cold Budweiser, room temperature Budweiser, mopeds, fall foliage, the OJ chase and the OJ trial.” Jan Lois Lynch of Massachusetts was a woman of eclectic interests and sublime taste. Her aforementioned life’s loves sound like all the ingredients of an ideal Thursday afternoon. Plus, Ms Lynch’s sons note, “Dangling her feet over a 5,000-foot cliff at the edge of the Grand Canyon so she could ‘see what it felt like to feel the fear,’ taught us all the really good things in life are beyond the ‘Do Not Enter’ signs.” This is a woman after my own heart. “Doug died” Douglas Legler of Fargo, North Dakota passed away in June 2015, but not before penning his own obituary, a testament to the adage “brevity is the soul of wit.” “‘Triple Gemini!’ she shrieked. ‘How do you cope?’” When longtime Rolling Stone editor Harriet Fier passed in 2018, an obituary in the Washington Post chronicled her colourful and interesting life. It even included a brief anecdote about her unique Woodstock experience: “I spent the whole next morning picking up garbage because I felt bad about leaving a big mess.” However, the most entertaining part of her obituary is in reference to her landing at Rolling Stone: “As Ms Fier told friends, she had no firm direction after college and might well have attended law school if she had not joined Rolling Stone, where getting a job in the early 1970s required little more than a certain alignment in the stars. Interview paperwork asked for an applicant’s sun, moon and rising signs. ‘I didn’t know the difference, so I wrote Gemini on all three,’ Ms Fier recounted. Her answer was apparently good enough – although she startled the woman who took her form. ‘Triple Gemini!’ she shrieked. ‘How do you cope?’” Written by Caroline Fanning. This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/humour/13-of-the-funniest-obituaries-that-really-exist?pages=1">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.co.nz/subscribe">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.

Mind

Jojo Rabbit: Hitler humour and a child's eye view of war make for dark satire

Jojo Rabbit is not Disney Studios’ first foray into Hitler parody. In 1943, it produced <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L90smU0SOcQ">der Fuehrer’s Face</a> – an anti-Nazi film inside Donald Duck’s nightmares. Now, Disney is the Australian distributor of Jojo Rabbit, a story of a young boy whose imaginary friend (and buffoonish life coach) is Adolf Hitler. In this dark satire, from the Polynesian-Jewish-New Zealand director Taika Waititi who brought us <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4698684/">Hunt for the Wilderpeople</a>, Nazi Germany is in its waning days. The Germans have all but lost the second world war but 10-year-old Johannes “Jojo” Betzel (Roman Griffin Davis) believes he, and he alone, will be the Aryan hero to turn the tide. The boy’s imaginary friend, a hilariously incompetent Hitler (played by Waititi in blue contact lenses and the trademark moustache), cheers him on. When asked to kill a rabbit to get into the Hitler Youth, Jojo baulks, though he does almost manage to kill himself in a grenade stunt. “You’re still the bestest, most loyal little Nazi I’ve ever met,” the fantasy Fuhrer enthuses. Through children’s eyes Themes and images of children have often been central in films exploring WWII. Steven Spielberg famously used <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUJ187mkMq8">“the girl in red coat”</a> to create a powerfully moving symbol of innocence in <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/movies/article/2017/03/31/schindlers-list-one-most-visually-powerful-war-films-ever-made">Schindler’s List</a> (1993). Immediately after the war, a stream of films, including Roberto Rosselini’s <a href="https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1358-germany-year-zero-the-humanity-of-the-defeated%22%22">Germany Year Zero</a> (1948), Gerhard Lamprecht’s <a href="https://ecommerce.umass.edu/defa/film/6025">Somewhere in Berlin</a> (1946), and Fred Zinnemann’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu8h7OyX8-Y">The Search</a> (1948) looked at wartime trauma through injuries acquired by children. Like Jojo’s grenade mishap, their wounds were permanent. In war films, children’s perspectives don’t diminish the ghastliness of war. Quite the contrary. When war and its pervasive horror spills over from the battlefield and intrudes on their youth, viewers are appalled at its spread. Containing that disease of war, curing it even, is where Waititi’s takedown of fascist group-think truly begins. How will Jojo escape the brainwash army of Reichswehr propaganda parrots like Rebel Wilson’s Fräulein? There are several steps. The first one for Jojo is finding out his mother has been hiding a Jewish girl in the attic. Scarlett Johansson gives an enchanting performance as a single mum who tries to keep the embers of humanity and love in Jojo’s heart alive as he gets lost in Nazi doctrines of vile anti-Semitism. Jojo starts falling for Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie), the hideaway in his attic, as her humanity – and his pre-pubescent hormones – triumph over fascist indoctrination. Through Jojo’s eyes, we see Elsa turn from monster into human as he comes back from the brink of fanatic hatred. Waititi hides that innocent, simple love story under slapstick and a ton of special effects. The latter don’t always work. And some of the jokes fall flat. But what works is the message that Jojo is both manipulated and self-manipulating. His Nazi hate is a cage of his own making, and Elsa is the key to unlocking it. She teaches him that empathy for those who we think are different from us is powerful. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VTqd4yNFuSw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Irreverent or irresponsible? Hitler comedies have a long history. In 1940, Charlie Chaplin released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVLQ8lNd1Pk">The Great Dictator</a>. Mel Brooks created <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brkp2VhzdDI">The Producers</a> in 1968. German filmmakers Dani Levy (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780568/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">My Führer – The Really Truest Truth about Adolf Hitler</a>, 2007) and David Wnendt (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylstybS6rqw&list=PL-2fuUy0f-jOu3bV_Bj1Uh-SbTO8OCK1A&index=2&t=0s">Look Who’s Back</a>, 2015) strived to find the right balance between comedy and drama. Like Waititi, those filmmakers experienced how mining sombre Holocaust themes and hateful iconography for the ridiculous splits public reactions along extreme lines. The critics bemoaned that Levy committed only halfheartedly to a funny Hitler, making the film the worst thing a comedy can be: too harmless. Wnendt faced another issue. He intercut his film with hidden camera footage of Germans reacting to the lead actor dressed as Hitler. People thought this was too much realism. Waititi <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-09/jojo-rabbit-review-and-taika-waititi-on-making-comic-hitler/11721074">says</a> he didn’t look at these forerunners and didn’t do any research on Hitler. He looked to literature instead. Jojo Rabbit uses the masterful dramatic novel <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25641300-caging-skies?from_search=true&qid=ev2DKS7scE&rank=1">Caging Skies</a> by New Zealand-Belgian author Christine Leuens as source material. The book doesn’t have the same generous scoops of comedy and tragedy found in Ladislav Fuks’ <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/725311.Mr_Theodore_Mundstock">Mr. Theodore Mundstock</a>, or in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18582851-the-nazi-and-the-barber">The Nazi and the Barber</a> by Edgar Hilsenrath. It’s all the more reason to recognise what Waititi has tried to accomplish. He had to negotiate between a book adaptation, Holocaust memory, and Hollywood. Commenting on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJSwD_17qjY">his motivation</a> for making the film, Watiti, whose mother is Jewish, said: “I just want people to be more tolerant and spread more love and less hate”. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/benjamin-nickl-594248">Benjamin Nickl</a>, Lecturer in International Comparative Literature and Translation Studies, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/jojo-rabbit-hitler-humour-and-a-childs-eye-view-of-war-make-for-dark-satire-128622">original article</a>.

Movies

How humour can change your relationship

A sense of humour is an <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/humor-sapiens/201504/good-in-bed-funny-men-give-more-orgasms">attractive trait</a>. There is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0265407502019004048">abundant</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17380374">cross cultural evidence</a> that shows that being funny <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/humor-sapiens/201110/why-jokes-are-seductive">makes you more desirable</a> as a mate, especially if you are a man. But once the initial flirting is over, and you are in a romantic relationship, how large a role does humour play? For <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/humr.2014.27.issue-2/humor-2014-0015/humor-2014-0015.xml">dating couples</a>, use of positive humour (for example, using humour to cheer up your date) can positively contribute to relationship satisfaction. The use of aggressive humour, on the other hand (teasing and making fun of your partner) has the opposite effect. These feelings can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis depending on each partner’s use of humour. For long-term relationships, such as in marriages, couples generally share a similar sense of humour – although similarities in sense of humour <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/humr.2003.16.issue-1/humr.2003.005/humr.2003.005.xml">are not associated</a> with greater marital satisfaction, nor with longer marriages. Perhaps not surprisingly, the research that resulted in this finding also found that couples with fewer children laugh more, compared to couples with a larger number of children. In <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/humr.2011.24.issue-4/humr.2011.025/humr.2011.025.xml">another study</a>, conducted with 3,000 married couples from five countries, both husbands and wives were found to be happier with a humorous partner, but this trait was reported to be more important for the marital satisfaction of the wives than the husbands. Interestingly, both husbands and wives thought that the husband was humourous more often. Regardless, married couples <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-73025-001">overwhelmingly say</a> that humour has a positive impact on their marriages. Conflict resolution But what happens when things aren’t going so well? Humour is a great ice breaker and a social lubricant, but can it also help resolve conflict in marriages? In <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-04812-009">one study</a>, researchers observed 60 newlywed couples when they discussed a problem in their marriage. They coded how much humour was used in the conversation. The couples also completed a measure of life stress. What researchers found when they followed up 18 months later was quite surprising. In couples that reported high stress, the more the husband used humour, the greater the chance the couple would separate or divorce. By contrast, in <a href="https://public.psych.iastate.edu/ccutrona/psych592a/articles/Predicting%20marital%20happiness%20from%20newlywed%20interactions.pdf">a similar study</a> with 130 married couples, a wife’s use of humour predicted greater marital stability over six years, but only if the humour led to a decrease in their husband’s heart rate. In other words, if the humour calms the husbands, then it might be beneficial to their marriages. These two studies show the disparate function of humour for men and women. For men, humour might serve as a way to distract from dealing with problems in the relationship, perhaps in an attempt to reduce their own anxiety. Women, on the other hand, may use humour to create a more relaxed atmosphere that can facilitate reconciliation. Laughing at you, not with you In recent years, there has been much <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/humr.2009.22.issue-1-2/humr.2009.002/humr.2009.002.xml">research</a> on the topics of <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/humr.2008.21.issue-1/humor.2008.002/humor.2008.002.xml">gelotophobia</a> (the fear of being laughed at), <a href="https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:98075">gelotophilia</a> (the joy of being laughed at), and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others). One <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656618302551">study</a> with a sample of 154 heterosexual young couples, who had been together an average of six years, examined whether any of these dispositions had a bearing on relationship satisfaction. You might expect that a person who likes being laughed at would be a good match with a partner that likes laughing at others, and this is indeed what the researchers found, though the correlation was not very strong. Overall, partners in romantic relationships tended to have similar preferences – they both liked being laughed at or to laugh at others at similar levels. Looking at relationship satisfaction, people who scored high on gelotophobia reported the lowest satisfaction in their relationships, and felt less physically attractive, and less sexually satisfied, compared to low gelotophobians. This makes sense, as being in an intimate relationship requires opening up and being more vulnerable, something that may feel uncomfortable for a person fearing being judged and laughed at. An interesting finding was that for men, having a gelotophobic partner reduced their own sexual satisfaction in relationships, probably because their partner’s insecurities make them less appealing. In contrast, women who loved being laughed at (gelotophilians) were more attracted to and enjoyed higher sexual satisfaction with their partner. No such effect was found with men. Also interesting was the finding that joy of laughing at others did not correlate with relationship satisfaction. Humour and sex Looking deeper into the issue of sexual satisfaction, women appear to have the edge. Women who have humorous partners, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/humor-sapiens/201504/good-in-bed-funny-men-give-more-orgasms">enjoy more and stronger orgasms</a>, compared to women who have less funny partners. Women with funnier partners also initiated sex more often and had more sex in general (indeed, for very good reasons). Such effects have not been found in women with higher humour production (the ability to come up with funny ideas on the spot) perhaps because it requires less effort to satisfy the sexual desire of men. This result may highlight sex differences in light of sexual selection, where higher reproduction costs for women (being pregnant, breastfeeding, shorter reproductive window), make them choosier than men. In contrast, men with good senses of humour may signal their intelligence, creativity, warmth, and how friendly they are – traits that are important in any relationship, especially romantic ones, and are more valuable for women.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106402/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Gil Greengross, Lecturer in Psychology, Aberystwyth University. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-humour-can-change-your-relationship-106402">The Conversation</a>.

Relationships

6 search results that prove Google has a sense of humour

Seems like the brains behind search engine Google have a pretty good sense of humour to include these hidden tricks and japes. <div id="section">1. It can do a barrel roll!</div> <div> Type "do a barrel roll" into Google, click search, and your browser window will do a 360-degree spin. </div> <div> It's a geeky reference to Nintendo's Star Fox series, in which a wise old rabbit named Peppy (an intergalactic fighter pilot) advises your character to avoid enemy fire by pulling said maneuver. You can get the same fun Google tricks effect by typing "z or r twice" in reference to the controller buttons you'd press in the game. 2. It's a word nerd! Google "anagram" and the search engine will suggest "nag a ram." Very cute. 3. It can read images! Looking for something specific, but don't have the right keywords to describe it? This is one of the more useful fun Google tricks. You can "<a href="https://support.google.com/images/answer/1325808?p=searchbyimagepage&hl=en" title="" data-original-title="">reverse image search</a>" at <a rel="noopener" href="http://images.google.com/" target="_blank" title="" data-original-title="">images.google.com</a> by clicking the camera icon, uploading an image, and then getting results of pictures that look similar. (Make sure you're okay with your photos floating around the web first.) 4. It speaks secret languages! On the top of your Google homepage, hit the nine squares at the top and go to My Account. Scroll to the bottom to find Language & Input Tools under Account Preferences. You can change your language to fun ways of speaking like Muppets (Bork, bork, bork!), Elmer Fudd (Ewmew Fudd), Klingon, and pirate. For instance, with that last one you'll find "moorr" instead of "more." 5. It can boost brainpower! ZDNet offers a handy <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.zdnet.com/photos/10-google-search-secrets_p10/6349203#photo" target="_blank" title="" data-original-title="">tip</a> to sift through university research: first type "site:edu" to limit the query to educational institutions, then try "intitle:" before your topic. For example, site:edu intitle:"American magazines" brings up results from Harvard, the University of Michigan, and more. You can also search get results from a specific website a similar way. 6. It likes to get specific! Thought "once in a blue moon" was just a vague expression? Not according to Google. Search that phrase and you'll get a very specific frequency: 1.16699016 × 10-8 hertz. It's a play off the fact that blue moons happen every 2.71 years. Did you know these facts about Google? Let us know in the comments! Written by Damon Beres. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/humour/19-search-results-prove-google-has-sense-humour">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer</a>. <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /> </div>

Technology

Man’s cheeky RSVP to ex’s wedding invitation

A bride-to-be has shared the very unexpected RSVP she received from her ex-boyfriend, after she sent him an invitation to her upcoming wedding. Hayley Stamper, from the US, posted a picture of the cheeky response she received from her former boyfriend on Twitter, writing, “My ex boyfriend just RSVP’d to my wedding and LOOK AT THE SONG HE REQUESTED.” One section of the RSVP card asked guests to write a song they would like to dance to at the upcoming wedding – they were asked to answer “I promise to dance if you play…” In a light-hearted jab, the ex-boyfriend wrote in response to the song request, “I Loved Her First – Heartland”. <img width="500" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819315/screen-shot-2018-06-21-at-52911-pm_500x245.jpg" alt="Screen Shot 2018-06-21 At 5.29.11 Pm"/> Luckily Hayley saw the funny side of her ex’s reply. She said the pair broke up on amicable terms and that there was no malicious intent with his RSVP. She explained, “We broke up over 5 years ago! Not every breakup has to have a traumatic ending, thus we’re still friends who can laugh and joke around.” Hayley concluded, “If my fiancé and ex can laugh at this tweet, you should too!”

News

Priest shares hilarious reply to flirty text message

Everyone is guilty of accidentally sending a text message to the wrong mobile number. But what if that wrong number actually belonged to a priest? That’s what happened to Father Simon Rundell, who received a flirty late-night text message which asked him, amongst other things, if he was working tomorrow. The priest from Devon in England received the random text late on Saturday night, and was asked, “U ok sexy? Are u in work tomorrow? X” The witty priest delayed his response, choosing to reply first thing the next morning, and hilariously writing: “Yes, I’m saying Mass at 9.30 & 11.15, but I’m guessing you didn’t intend to text a priest on this one. Fr. Simon.” Father Simon shared the funny text message exchange on his Twitter account, saying, “I get the *best* wrong number texts…” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I get the *best* wrong number texts... <a href="https://t.co/Xs9tEVZYQB">pic.twitter.com/Xs9tEVZYQB</a> — Fr Simon Rundell (@frsimon) <a href="https://twitter.com/frsimon/status/1003163629846396928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2018</a></blockquote> His post has been liked almost 5,000 times and attracted a huge number of entertaining comments. One amused follower responded, “Maybe it was meant for you. No reason why someone can’t think you are sexy father.” While another fan of the priest shared, “Maybe you should have told her the time at which you were taking confessions.” <img width="500" height="374" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7818988/screen-shot-2018-06-06-at-90829-pm_500x374.jpg" alt="Screen Shot 2018-06-06 At 9.08.29 Pm"/> Have you ever accidentally sent a text message to the wrong mobile number or received a message that was not meant for you? Tell us in the comments below.

Technology

10 comics that prove humour is the best therapy

Started in 1985, Bizzaro is a single-panel cartoon strip drawn by artist Dan Piraro. <a href="http://www.boredpanda.com" target="_blank">Bored Panda</a> has complied the most hilarious comics by Piraro that show how humour can be the best therapy. https://www.boredpanda.com/bizarro-comics-dan-piraro/ Scroll through the gallery above to see the comics that deal with therapy. Make sure you look out for the secret symbols included in his comics! Image credit: Dan Piraro

Art

Only "smart" people will find this cartoon funny

Sense of humour is a notoriously subjective topic, so you’d be forgiven for regarding the findings from this latest study in Cognitive Processing with an air of scepticism. In an experiment on education and intelligence, researchers at the University of Vienna found people with a dark sense of humour tend to be better educated. Their findings were based on a series of cartoons, including the below. So, do you find this cartoon funny? <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Wie gewonnen, so zerronnen. Nichts ist schwerer als seine Mäuse zusammenzuhalten. Altes Haushaltungsgesetz! 😉 (Cartoon Uli Stein) <a href="https://t.co/E5HkE91J0R">pic.twitter.com/E5HkE91J0R</a> — Löwe Wasserburg (@WbgKhr) <a href="https://twitter.com/WbgKhr/status/836579254615801857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2017</a></blockquote> (The caption translates to: “Easy come easy go. Nothing is more difficult than holding his mice together. Old law!”) “Black humour, often called grotesque, morbid, gallows or sick humour, is used to express the absurdity, insensitivity, paradox and cruelty of the modern world,” they wrote. “Characters or situations are usually exaggerated far beyond the limits of normal satire or irony, potentially requiring increased cognitive efforts to get the joke.” Did you find the cartoon funny? Hero image credit: Twitter / Löwe Wasserburg

Mind

What a child’s humour says about their mental wellbeing

Claire Fox is a senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University. Her research focuses on bullying in schools and domestic violence. Just like adults, children use humour in their everyday lives. Some like to make fun of themselves whereas others like to laugh at the expense of others. But what effect does a child’s humour have, for example, on their relationships with others and how they feel about themselves? To find out, we studied the use of humour in children aged between 11 and 16, and discovered a link between a child’s humour style and their mental health. Our study is based on <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00534-2" target="_blank">previous research</a> into styles of humour among adults. <a href="http://www.psychology.uwo.ca/people/faculty/profiles/martin.html" target="_blank">Rod Martin</a> and colleagues used a questionnaire to identify <a href="http://www.psytoolkit.org/survey-library/humor-hsq.html" target="_blank">four different types of humour</a>: self-enhancing, affiliative, self-defeating, and aggressive. They found evidence to suggest that someone’s styles of humour can have positive or negative impact on their relationships with others and their psychological well-being. Self-enhancing humour is used to enhance oneself, to boost one’s own sense of self, but is not detrimental to others. For example, someone who is feeling a bit upset about a situation can try to think of something funny about the situation so they feel better about it. Affiliative humour enhances relationships with others and reduces interpersonal tensions. For example, laughing and joking around with one’s friends. These two forms of humour are known as “adaptive” humour styles. Self-defeating humour is often used to enhance relationships with others at the expense of oneself, whereas aggressive humour can be used to make yourself feel better at the expense of others – such as making fun of another person. These two forms are known as “maladaptive” because of evidence which suggests they are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19674401" target="_blank">potentially damaging to an individual</a>. It has been suggested that continual use of aggressive humour can alienate others, eventually having a detrimental effect on the user. Self-defeating humour can harm an individual’s mental health, since it involves putting yourself down and repressing one’s own emotional needs to appease others. It’s useful to distinguish between these forms as they have been linked to aspects of psychological and social adjustment. In many different studies, adults who use adaptive styles of humour are <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656602005342" target="_blank">typically found to have better mental health</a> and higher self-esteem, while those using maladaptive humour styles tend to have high levels of anxiety and depression and lower self-esteem. Use of aggressive humour also tends to be associated with social maladjustment – those who use it are more likely to experience problems in their interpersonal relationships. Humour in children From reading about the humour-styles approach we wanted to apply the model to children and young people by asking children to complete a series of questionnaires at the beginning and end of the school year. We found the links between humour styles and adjustment that have been found in adults also apply to children. Our study, <a href="http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/1065/pdf" target="_blank">published in Europe’s Journal of Psychology</a>, found that those using self-defeating humour at the beginning of the school year were more likely to experience an increase in loneliness and symptoms of depression at the end of the year, along with a decrease in self-esteem. This can also lead to a vicious circle of depressive symptoms, causing a further increase in the use of self-defeating humour and so forth. However, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886915006200" target="_blank">we also found</a> that those using self-defeating humour do not necessarily fare badly. Few people use only one style, but rather a combination of different styles. So we decided to take a broader approach to our analysis, categorising the children as either “interpersonal humourists”, which includes those who scored above average on aggressive and affiliative humour, but below average on the other two humour styles. “Self-defeaters”, who scored high on this style of humour, but low on all three others. The “humour endorsers” scored above average on all four humour styles. And finally, “adaptive humourists” scored high on the two adaptive styles of humour, but low on aggressive and self-defeating humour. The self-defeaters scored highest on social adjustment in comparison to the humour endorsers, who appeared to use self-defeating humour to an even greater extent than the self-defeaters themselves. This suggests that the negative effects of using self-defeating humour could be reduced if used alongside other more positive styles. What this means is that we should try to encourage greater use of the more positive self-enhancing and affiliative types of humour, since they appear to benefit mental health and self-esteem. Self-defeating humour, despite seeming to make others feel better in the short term, can lead to psychological and social adjustment problems, and so should be discouraged, or perhaps used in combination with more positive styles of humour. So how can this be achieved? My recent work with <a href="https://esrcbullyingandhumourproject.wordpress.com/research-team/lucy-james/" target="_blank">Lucy James</a> involves an innovative educational intervention to explain the different styles of humour and their impact to school children. This is not so much about teaching children to be “funny”: it’s about educating them about the potential positive and negative effects of the ways in which humour can be used, which will hopefully improve their relationships with others and how they feel about themselves. Written by Claire Fox. First appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

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