Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

Now that it’s agreed by most that Imus crossed all lines in his put downs and diminishment of people, it’s time to rethink a basic question. What’s funny where you work? If Woody Allan worked with you, would he be considered funny? Racial humor may be everywhere – but not everybody’s laughing.

Many who laughed alongside Imus spoke out in the New York Times recently to renege their willingness to laugh at innocent people – whose lives are diminished in the public forum with each cheap shot at comedy. New York Times Book Review Editor,  Sam Tanenhaus, and author of the book, Whittaker Chambers: A Biography, fessed up in the op-ed page for instance. He admitted that while he enabled Imus’ bigotry, he also increased his own book sales at the same time.

Sam wrote in a NY Times Op-Ed on Sunday, “For a period lasting many months I was one of Mr. Imus’ collaborators, or enablers – in fact one of the most conspicuous ones.”  In this case, degrading comedy for one person at the brunt of the joke – may just be a financial benefit to another at the helm of the humor. Does it happen where you work.

If humor that uses racist or sexist stereotypes is no longer tolerated … what’s really funny to those who made it a pattern? What will we laugh at next – that does not need to be justified after? Check out 10 tips for the best belly laughs at work.

It took people pulling ads for leaders to admit the real costs of laughing at others. When it comes to humor that works well for the human brain, comedians take a hilarious … look inside rather than abrasively at others. They say that people who laugh at themselves – will always have the last laugh. What do you say?