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Aug 11 2011

Laughter: What's so funny about that?

42 min 9 movies discussed
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The response to humor starts with electrical activity, potentially translating to physical responses that make up laughter. Science still can't pin down what makes one thing amusing and another not (which is pretty funny). Tune in to learn more.

AI Summary

Ever wonder what actually happens in your brain when you crack up laughing, or why you can't stop giggling in inappropriate situations like church? This episode of Stuff You Should Know dives into the fascinating science behind laughter, exploring everything from the specific facial muscles that contract when you laugh to the universal "ha ha ha" sound we all make. Josh and Chuck break down the neurological cascade that occurs when we find something funny, examine different theories about why humor exists in the first place, and reveal some surprising health benefits of a good belly laugh.


Movies Discussed

Comic Geniuses: The Marx Brothers
Comic Geniuses: The Marx Brothers
2019
★ 0.0
"he watched Marx Brothers films and basically found that belly laughing for 10 minutes — Josh mentioned Marx Brothers films in the context of Norman Cousins using comedy as medicine for his health conditions." — Josh
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Crimes and Misdemeanors
1989 1h 44m
★ 7.4
"Alan Alda, did you ever see Crimes and Misdemeanors? — Chuck referenced the film when discussing a comedy theory about bending versus breaking." — Chuck
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
1995
★ 7.8
"You remember the show Dr. Katz. Oh yeah. Did you ever meet anybody who was like oh I can't watch that show — Chuck used this animated show as a measure of intelligence based on whether people could tolerate the animation style." — Chuck
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers
1975
★ 8.3
"If you think like, oh, I didn't like faulty towers. Well, you just don't get British humor — Josh mentioned this British comedy series when discussing cultural differences in humor." — Josh
GoodFellas
GoodFellas
1990 2h 25m
★ 8.5
"Or when Henry Hill in Goodfellas, right, he's just ticking off Joe Pesci — Josh used this scene as an example of the punctuation effect in laughter, where people laugh after speaking rather than during speech." — Josh
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969
★ 8.3
"Monty Python was even hit or miss — Chuck mentioned this comedy group as another example of British humor being subjective." — Chuck
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
1975
★ 7.0
"he started out as a Saturday Night Live writer — Josh mentioned this when discussing Louis C.K.'s comedy background." — Josh
Three Stooges Go Undercover
Three Stooges Go Undercover
1981
★ 0.0
"I do laugh out loud at Three Stooges now — Chuck compared his reaction to Three Stooges versus Marx Brothers when discussing different types of comedy." — Chuck
Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass
Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass
2025 1h 44m
★ 5.8
"Tom, you know, chasing Jerry, Jerry makes it into his mouse hole and then Tom smacks his face — Josh used Tom and Jerry as an example of physical humor." — Josh

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