1st Edition
Humor and Health in the Media Raising the Question, Should Illness be Funny?
Examining popular media portrayals of various health topics, this book offers a critical analysis of how those mediated messages can impact, for good or ill, people’s physical and mental health.
Looking specifically at how various depictions of health topics have both aided in the normalization of health topics such as neurodiversity and HIV while also critiquing the dissemination of misinformation on these same topics, this book offers insight into the ways in which humorous content can both help and hurt. The author draws on a critical analysis of popular media including shows, social media, and stand-up specials, as well as interviews with those who use humor within health settings, such as Red Nose Docs, comedians who focus on their own health issues.
This insightful study will interest scholars and students of health in popular culture as well as health communication, media studies, public health administration, and health policy.
Preface
Chapter One: How and Why We Experience Humor
Chapter Two: How and Why We Experience Humor
Chapter Three: Laughing Through the Pain Benefits of Humor
Chapter Four: The Dangers and Dark Sides of Humor
Chapter Five: Humor and Stand-Up: Healing Through Storytelling
Chapter Six: Serious Illness, Silly Conversation
Chapter Seven: That’s Not Funny: When Comedy Misses the Mark
Chapter Eight: I Got a Joke for You: Building Community through Social Media Platforms
Conclusion
Biography
Malynnda Johnson (PhD., University of WI – Milwaukee, 2012) is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication. She primarily teaches health communication and media studies and various courses, including interviewing and counseling, persuasion, interpersonal communication, health communication, media criticism, and cross-cultural communication. She has authored three books on media representations of health topics, including her most recent examining humor's role in our health. Additionally, she is actively working within the medical field, training patient advocates and providers on ways to improve their communication when working with minority groups (specifically, Neurodiverse and transgender populations). Both professionally and personally, her goal is to help all people feel their voices are heard and to help make difficult conversations less difficult.
