Page 62 - Thetha Issue 7

HUMOUR

The Power

of Humour

Humour is a powerful way for people to broach a very
difficult past – and in South Africa, we use it as a cathartic
and coping mechanism, says Mandela University researcher
Dr Jennalee Donian. By Heather Dugmore

s a nation with so Sometimes we laugh when we
many languages, should be crying
cultures and races, Prof Hurst says that laughing and crying
“Awe find that humour are both forms of nervous energy
bonds South Africans,” says Dr release. “Laughter also helps us to
Donian, a postdoctoral researcher understand complexity better, to deal
who specialises in humour as part of with the hardships, absurdities, and
the DST-NRF South African Research contradictions in the world. It helps us to
Chair Initiative (SARChI) Chair in achieve a more cohesive society.
Identities and Social Cohesion “People who are extremely
in Africa, headed by Professor ideological or vehement about
Andrea Hurst. something tend not to see the
She says South Africa’s most humour in life. This includes religious
famous humour export, Trevor Noah, fundamentalists, anti-vaxers, right-wing
is so successful because “he draws extremists or climate change denialists.”
on his multicultural background In 2022 the Chair hosted a weekly
and mélange of languages to incite, online seminar series on “The Power
navigate and mitigate sensitive and of Humour” and it was extremely well
taboo subjects like race, politics received, with presenters from all over
and ethnicity. No subject or sector Dr Jennalee Donian Africa, America, and Germany. This led
of the population escapes him, to an international conference of the
and he tackles even the darkest, most painful issues with same name, hosted by Mandela University in Gqeberha,
immaculate satire.” featuring an international line-up of researchers.
There is camaraderie in our country about a wide range At the conference, the founding chair of the Humour
of topics, including political corruption, apartheid, Eskom Society, Lydia Amir, presented on the ridiculousness of
and sex. Comic Celeste Ntuli, who performs in Zulu, breaks being a human in the world. She said that if we could look at
all the boundaries. ourselves with a benign sense of humour, then we would be
“In traditional Zulu culture, women are supposed to be kinder to ourselves and to others.
very polite and respectful and not swear, but Ntuli talks Prof Hurst and Dr Donian co-presented a paper
about sex, she uses guttural sounds and moves her body titled “Laughing when the lights go out: Humour and the
in a sexual way,” Dr Donian explains. “It’s interesting to electricity crisis in South Africa”. They are currently working
see how popular she is, including amongst the men in the on an edited collection on the power of humour, which will
audience.” be submitted for publication at the end of 2023.

62 | Thetha Edition 7 | 2023