Laughter The Best Medicine?

Is laughter the best medicine? I mean, can it cure AIDS, breast cancer, leukemia or even the common flu? NOT!! But I guessed it gives a kind of relief. When you can laugh at the things that have gone wrong in your life, you know that you are cured. Well, maybe just spiritually or mentally.

I read that the average adult laughed at least 17 times a day. Iye ker?? I’ve counted my laughter today and it is less than 17. Wait a minute, it says ‘average’, maybe I should keep track of a month laughter or 30 days. Wait again, it says ‘the average adult’. Am I an average adult? But first, am I considered an adult? Arghhh…malas nak pikir

It continues to say that only humans laugh. Then I thought, is this true? I mean I’ve heard of laughing hyenas. And I don’t mean cartoon characters like bugs bunny, Donald duck or that purple monster Barney. I mean real animals. Like monkeys, birds or dolphins. The scientists got it wrong. I know that animals do laugh. Scientists just have not found evidence to support the fact that animals do laugh thus they came out with a theory that only humans do. I think the animals are watching and laughing at what we humans have done to ourselves, the bad things to humanity and our earth. Maybe they are crying also….

Laughter – a physiological response to humor consisting of gestures and production of sounds. The Encyclopedia Britannica described it as “rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory and involuntarily actions.

Gestures and sounds. Yup, variations of ‘em. I got this friend who rubs his tummy when he is laughing. And he got this continuous giggles up to 2 minutes. And that is just for some minor jokes (well, to me anyway). He looks like a monkey. I think he laughed or acted like that just to get some attention at him or to add more humiliation at those he make fun of. I think that he should be a clown. He already looks and sounds like one. He only needed a red nose.

Another of my friend, laugh and hit people on the back or the shoulder. He usually hit before he laugh. This can be very irritating to me. I mean, if it just a gentle slap on the shoulder then it’s OK. But a blow like Hulk Hogan can make me want to return the slap just as hard and laugh as hard at him too.

And I also see people who laughed until tears rolls down their cheeks. Happened to me too. It tickles your funny bones to the extreme and you shed tears for nothing. The scientific explanation for this is that the extreme movement of the jaws of mouth by closing and opening caused the struggle for more oxygen and these causes tear ducts to shed and also causes the face to turn red. And maybe the ears too.

Sometimes I see people who close their mouth with the palms of their hands when they laughed. I think it’s because they have bad breath or ugly teeth or even no teeth at all (hahhaha).

They are also variety sounds of laughter. The hi hi hi (like hantu ones), the ha ha ha (the regular ones), the ho ho ho (the Santa Claus ones) with different levels of tone, pitch, time-span and volume. It really depends on the personality of the person and how he/she perceived the humor. Some sounded like monkeys, some like chickens and some like Beavis and Butthead. Well nobody have the same laughter I think. Laughter is like fingerprints, no two are the same.

In the cyber world, other than audio voice, laughter is indicated by some icons or by typing certain letters. For instance you got this old thing, lol (laughing out loud) or variations as follows.

The usual hahaha, hihihi or

Wakakakakakkakaka ( funny!) or

Muakakakakkakakaka (funny up a level with the addition of  “mua” in the front) or

Kekekeeekekekeke (sheep like laugh)

Kui kui kui kui kui kui (birdlike laugh)

The length of the typed variation laughter shows how he/she perceived the humor.

Laughter is also used to show superiority or satisfaction. Like in the old cerita melayu, you can see the villains or orang jahat laughing senselessly or endlessly. Usually the head crook will laughed first followed by the rest of the crew. Or sometimes it shows evilness in progress. “Ha ha ha” rubbing palm of hands,” I’m going to kill them all and all the richness will be mine! Mine! Mine!” followed by a louder “ha ha ha ha ha” and maybe a thunder strike or two.

It also can be used a way to make money. Like being a clown or a comedian or whatever you called ‘em in the entertainment industry. Some made millions. Making people laugh and making money for themselves. In Japan they got this laughing contest. The longest time laughing, the most unique sound of laughter etc. etc.

I’ve also heard about a person who suffers continuous laughing. This person can’t stop laughing! That’s odd! I thought laughter is the best medicine! Maybe I can say he is on medication, laughing painfully.

Can we fake laughter? Of course we can. I hate those radio DJs who faked laughing at their own lame jokes. But can you tickle yourself to laugh? No. I don’t think so. I’ve tried.