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Like a good leader, an experienced teacher or therapist will know when and when not to use humour. There's no reason at all why serious matters shouldn't be appreciated in non-serious ways, provided the teacher, or whoever's conducting the sessions, knows when and how to inject the humour.
For some time now, we've suffered under another dictatorship. That of Political Correctness. We must be terribly careful of our humour in this respect in case it offends. It does seem to me that the only class of person that you're completely safe at directing humour, and offending to your heart's content, is the middle class white man.
I say this without rancour, merely as an observation. You see this so much on television advertisements. The white man's always made to look a fool. If there's a black couple, then it's the husband who's the idiot. So if we're writing a comedy piece, we always have to ask ourselves; 'Yes, this is funny, but am I really going to be allowed to say this, or will the piece be 'pulled?''
Once this happens, then we're right back in a dictatorship again. It seems to me to be a shame when you're seriousness and fixed ideas forbid you to laugh at yourself.
Cruel and/or insulting humour should always be avoided. Using humour as an excuse to deliberately upset someone, or a group of people, is unconscionable. And it isn't real humour. It's like strapping a deer to a tree, shooting it and calling it hunting.
Real humour, then, won't pillory religion nor whole races of people, but on the other hand it will shine the light of truth on hidden pomposity and show up those with restricted vision.
I think what I dread most is when you're at a party, there's a lull in the conversation, and this character pipes up; 'Have you heard the one about.. ' Almost certainly, it'll have no bearing whatever on the previous conversation, nor will it be constructive in any way.
The best type of humour is the 'off the cuff' type that's relevant to what's being discussed.
Canon William Archibald Spooner, who remained at New College, Oxford for over 60 years, was the epitome of humour, because it was entirely unintentional. So many of the 'Spoonerisms' are apocryphal, but the following three are definitely believed to be true.
One night during dinner, he suggested that they should all raise their glasses to 'the queer old Dean.' (Dear old Queen).
One Sunday, he advised the congregation in chapel that 'The Lord is a Shoving Leopard.' (Loving Shepherd), and he once enthusiastically announced that 'we'll have all the hags flung out.' (Flags hung out).
He was an albino, as a matter of fact, and considered to be 'genial, hospitable and kindly.' Certainly, he was most highly thought of.
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