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issue twenty five • July 23, 2020
provo-cations
AW
01
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A Bit of Wisdom

The giggles always seem to arrive at the worst times: company meetings, wedding ceremonies, funerals, or, say, when someone sticks a Tweety Bird Pez dispenser on our lap during a dramatic piano recital. Why? Why are the most inappropriate times to laugh often the funniest?
 

The answer likely lies in something we don't typically associate with humor: tension. Science tells us humor is an advanced defense mechanism against tension and threats, stirring good brain chemistry that boosts mood and immunity. That tracks. One-off gags and individual moments can be funny, sure, but generally, the higher stakes, the more meaningful the laugh and more likely it will sustain us through tough times. In other words, we laugh to survive. Because real humor helps us break down topics taboo or difficult to navigate on their own — sex, terrorism, death, disease, to name a few.

And, well, that reminds us. Every day for the last several months has become an endless doomscroll broadcasting tragedy, corruption, and violence, quarantine and restrictive travel offering scant reprieve. It leaves us asking, should companies begin infusing humor to diffuse the tension? We say: Yes. But it must be done right. Because what’s funny isn’t the coronavirus pandemic itself; rather, humor is found in adjacent, everyday human activity that gives us a relatable, contextual lens that provides levity to an otherwise difficult subject. The same goes for protests surrounding Black Lives Matter — the movement alone certainly isn’t funny. But the situation and tension pave the way for both pop-culture jokes and gallows humor that speaks as much truth as anything else. Connecting with audiences when topics are weighty means laughing with each other, not at, rebalancing power structures and giving us room to begin honest conversations. It helps make “we’re all in this together” actionable. After all, sometimes all you can do is laugh (and vote). Until there’s serious racial justice reform, and until we have a vaccine for everyone, it may remain our best medicine.

02
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Things We’re Feelin’.
Could a future without cars become, maybe, someday, hopefully, a reality?
Welp, the Iceland National Football Team just won every game it's ever going to play again.
There are a lot of ways to draw a star, but really only one correct way. (Right answer: 4-1-3-5-2-4)
What will be the "Dixie Cup" of the pandemic? (Also: it's probably time to drop the "Dixie.")
Which Barack Obama are you?
03
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Expert Analysis
This summer, AW created a Q&A series with experts in a variety of fields to examine how the pandemic and social justice are impacting our world, daily life, and how both may affect our future. Thus far, our series includes an ESPN college football producer, fitness entrepreneur George Foreman III (yes, the champ's son), along with a leading sustainability executive. And this week's installment features Carol Coletta, an expert on urban revitalization whose work takes her around the country helping improve cities small and large. “Cities,” she says, "can never truly be healthy without opportunity for everyone and a deep commitment to equity.” Read more from Coletta here.
04
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Charted.
THE OFFICIAL START OF SUMMER
Artemis Ward
www.artemisward.com
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