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ユーモアと笑い
欧米には長い年月のうちに根付いた健全なユーモアのセンスがある。
そして笑いとは本来人々の心を癒し、人間関係を円滑にするものだ。
しかし今日本のテレビで放送されている漫才は、ある種の人たちを笑いのタネにするなど、いわゆるユーモアや笑いとはかけ離れてしまっているのではないかと筆者は懸念する。
Humor and laughter
Since ancient times, humor and laughter have helped calm people's minds, smoothing human relations all over the world. Humor lightens our burdens, inspires hope, connects us to others and keeps us alert. Nothing works faster or can more dependably bring the human spirit and body back into balance than a good laugh. There is a great deal of meaning inherent in long-established adages such as: "humor is mankind's greatest blessing"; "humor brings insight and tolerance"; "what soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul"; "laughter is the best medicine" and "good fortune comes to the door of people who laugh."
In famous playwright and actor Moliere's (1622-1673) satirical French comedies of the 17th century, such as Tartuffe or the Hypocrite, The Miser, The Imaginary Invalid, and The Bourgeois Gentleman, there's a healthy sense of humor that has long entertained ordinary citizens in western countries. In Japan as well, short satirical Japanese poetry from the early modern period (senryu) and comic stories (rakugo) have had the same effect.
It would be shallow to say that this type of entertainment was something that only diverted commoners' attention from the problems of their societies like poverty, social injustice, class distinction and oppression. In a much deeper sense, ordinary citizens must have felt laughter was necessary to triumph over hardship and head toward a bright future.
Regrettably, humor is sometimes jeering and despicable, disclosing vicious and inhumane aspects of life. But the essence of laughter does not exist in such humor. I sense something "sick" in Japanese comic dialogs (manzai) of late. From what I have seen and heard about these shows, I have concluded that recent manzai contain unhealthy and harmful humor.
For example, many comedians make jokes at the expense of senior citizens, the underprivileged and other disadvantaged groups. They tease and ridicule people who are weak. This verbal harassment is often directed at a person's physical appearance, ethnic origin or occupation. Therefore, the term "sadistic comedy" can be appropriately used to describe manzai. These sadistic manzai are a far cry from the time-honored healthy satirical spirit that invites spontaneous laughter. They seem to be devoid of feeling and so repugnant that they have no value. This type of comedy is really about denial and destructiveness.
What worries me most — in addition to this negative tendency — is the almost total lack of humor regarding satire of Japan's hierarchy, politicians and bureaucrats. Personally, I am afraid this tendency reflects political indifference and a sense of helplessness prevalent among Japanese.
Unhealthy and harmful humor has become both a symptom and a cause of a malaise of triviality and foolishness currently troubling Japanese society. Unfortunately, the majority of Japanese viewers accept this, as if to say, "If it's on TV, it must be OK!"
- burdens
- 苦悩
- keeps us alert
- 心を鋭敏に保つ
- inherent in 〜
- 〜にある
- adages
- 格言
- insight
- 洞察力
- tolerance
- 寛容
- what 〜 is to 〜, 〜 is to 〜
- 〜にとっての〜は、〜にとっての〜と同じだ
- playwright
- 劇作家
- Moliere
- 古典主義3大作家の一人、モリエール
- satirical
- 風刺的な
- Tartuffe or the Hypocrite, The Miser, The Imaginary Invalid, and The Bourgeois Gentleman
- 『タルチュフ:あるいはペテン師』『守銭奴』『病は気から』そして『町人貴族』
- shallow
- 底が浅い
- diverted 〜 from 〜
- 〜から〜をそらした
- injustice
- 不正
- class distinction
- 階級差別
- oppression
- 抑圧
- triumph over 〜
- 〜を克服する
- head toward 〜
- 〜の方へ進む
- jeering
- あざけるような
- despicable
- いやしむべき
- vicious
- 不快な
- at the expense of 〜
- 〜をだしにして
- the underprivileged
- 貧困層
- tease
- 〜をからかう
- verbal harassment
- 言葉による嫌がらせ
- (is)directed at 〜
- 〜に向けられている
- ethnic origin
- 民族の出身
- are a far cry from 〜
- 〜とは似ても似つかない
- time-honored
- 昔からある
- devoid of 〜
- 〜がない
- repugnant
- 不快な
- satire
- 風刺
- hierarchy
- 階層性
- symptom
- 症状
- cause
- 原因
- malaise of triviality and foolishness
- つまらない、ばかばかしいという不快感
- viewers
- 視聴者
- as if to say 〜
- あたかも〜と言うように