I was reminded of this fact on the tube the other night when an admittedly drunken man began to insult a boy sat in front of him for the comedic benefit of his friends, and it was one of the saddest sights I have witnessed in a long time. It got me thinking about the types of humour and its questionable intentions.
Political correctness has attempted to stamp out selfish humour at the expense of others but has in turn spouted out a whole new avenue of taking the piss, by taking the piss out of not being allowed to take the piss. If that makes sense...
Fashion has picked up on this to great effect, whether its styling to a stereotype or breaking down taboo barriers with high fashion, but the best sort of humour remains to be the kind created through light-heartiness and the act of not taking yourself too seriously. Lady GaGa and Katy Perry have kept the tabloids colourful with their brave and wonderful creations, Henry Holland perked up the fashion world for a few seasons with his cheeky slogans, while M.I.A and Agnes Deyn have taken mis-matching to a new level of fun. Even when designers are poking fun at popular culture or attempting to reinvent the worst fashion faux pas of all time, catwalks are always brought alive by the best accessory of all; a smile.
Of course, this comedic value is not purely for its consumers. It has been translated into a multi-million pound industry spanning the likes of fashion, films and writing. This fact highlights the sad but undeniable hypocrisy in humour; the desire to increase the apparent enjoyment of others is gained through the selfish need for attention.
The boy on the tube swapped carriages at the next stop.
