Clowns and Jokers Can Heal Us: Comedy and Medicine

Howard Carter presents and analyzes humor inside and outside of the hospital. He argues that rituals of comedy affirm our humanity, aid healing, and should routinely be part of medical care. Carter discusses a wide range of comedy: the work of a hospital clown, ER humor that ranges from the playful to the harsh, humor that breaks taboo, humorous uses of imagery, character, and story, Freudian attacks, and jokes about sex, aging, and death. Humor, he finds, helps us deal with difficult subjects, creates social bonds, and affirms positive values. Because humor frees our imaginations and gives us pleasure, it provides a humane context for maintaining health when we are well and for healing when we are sick.