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Something Understood

Religion & Ethics

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life

Ethical and religious discussion that examines some of the larger questions of life, taking a spiritual theme and exploring it through music, prose and poetry

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Something Understood: Mirth of Nations

Embracing the Classical

10/05/2015

Mirth of Nations

BBC Radio 4 - Something Understood, Mirth of Nations

Mark Tully asks what makes us laugh, when it is okay to smile and when a joke goes too far

Mark Tully asks what makes people laugh, when it is okay to smile and when a joke goes too far. Sociologist Christie Davies discusses how some groups become targets for humour.

From musical jokes and harmless limericks to the offence that can be caused by religious, sexual or racist humour, Mark Tully asks what makes us laugh, when it's OK to find something funny, and when a joke goes too far.

It's not always easy to draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable humour. For many, ethnic humour is inevitably racial humour and therefore automatically forbidden. But is it always as straightforward as that? With sociologist Christie Davies, Mark discusses how different nations form their own brand of jokes, how stereotypes emerge and how some groups become targets for humour.

Gilbert and Sullivan help us to laugh at those in authority, Daphne Du Maurier makes us squirm at the cruelty of a practical joke, and Mozart's Divertimento for Two Horns and String Quartet provides the punchline.

Produced by Adam Fowler
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

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