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Social media are flooded with jokes about the coronavirus, even though the pandemic is not that funny. Lieke Stelling (Languages, Literature and Communication) and Madelijn Strick (Psychology), both member of the Utrecht Young Academy, were interviewed by the on the role of humor through history and in present day.

Lieke Stelling conducts research on humor in the Reformation, which shows similarities to the current crisis. “The Reformation directly affected the daily life of many people. Jokers relieved tension and uncertainty, creating a sense of community.” Jokes were and still are a welcome distraction. “Laughter is a great medicine against unfortunate things.”

Throughout history, Lieke Stelling observes little change in the nature of humor, even when its form changes. For example, in harsh times like these, black humor rears its head. “We use jokes to break tension and get a better grip on an uncertain situation. We may even see it as a way to ward off bad luck.” The black humor that is common now therefore is an important way to deal with the pandemic. 

Madelijn Strick unravels the course of humor in the corona crisis. It started with jokes of a racist nature, followed by wordplay puns such as “John Travolta has corona! But wait, wasn’t it just a Saturday Night Fever?” At this moment, self-mockery is particularly important, for instance on the hoarding of toilet paper. 

Madelijn Strick also points out that there is great solidarity at the moment. “Because of our physical distance, we visit one another more often virtually. Instead of complaining, we want to make each other laugh.”