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Ana Bass Senior Seminar Day 1 A Serious Need for Comedy Laughing is a stupendous act that allows a person to be taken away from their everyday lives. There is significance in ‘living in the moment.’ Comedy serves a higher value in society than solely for entertainment purposes. Comedy allows an individual to release tension, provide social commentary, and offer different perspectives. E.B. White once said, "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested, and the frog dies of it" (//Watson//). In other words, figuring out the reasons of what makes something funny is boring. However the //effects// of comedy are incredible. Having a sense of humor can influence positive behavior. For example, consider the life of Dana Jennings. He is a recovering cancer patient. He marks the importance of having a high outlook on life, opposed to being sucked into the darkness of cancer. Jennings has made up his own one-liners. It is typical of him to say, "'You take the dog out. I have cancer.' Or, 'Can I sit in that chair? I have cancer'" (New York Times). Jennings says, "Being able to laugh in the face of cancer lets you continue to own yourself, as hard as that might be, rather than ceding ownership to the disease. A good laugh reminds you that you are not your cancer" (New York Times). Jennings has developed a sense of humor which allows him to elude the depression he could be having. The one-liners he has made up are an example of personal comic relief. The effects of comedy also appear physically. Steve Wilson, the founder of the World Laughter Tour explains, "Muscular tension is released when you laugh. Your digestion is better. It helps heart rate. It helps blood flow" (National Public Radio). This simple act of laughing helps relieve stress. Not only does comedy result in good feelings, but the feelings are physically beneficial to one’s health.