Imagine how much you would have to hate life to castigate someone for laughing. It is important to dwell on the thought experiment before considering political ideology or feminist theory because the inevitable revelation produces profound political and cultural clarity.
Everyone has faced the challenge of navigating a conversation with a humorless scold. There is the teacher who punishes innocuous jokes; the minister of the variety depicted in the underrated film “Chocolat,” whose primary devotion is the prohibition of pleasure. and the socially maladjusted relative who struggles to form a smile at birthday celebrations, in holiday photos, or during joyous ceremonies, like weddings or baptisms. These are people who those in close proximity do all they can to avoid. If a coworker or kin finds herself cornered in a dour discussion with the malcontent, she will activate the most creative parts of her mind to engineer an excuse to exit the encounter.
