08.12.07
What’s so Funny about Adult Education?!
Currently I am in the dissertation phase of my doctoral program in Adult Education/Workforce Education at Penn State University (which means I’m 6 credits away from being a Marxist.) Anyway, a funny thing happened on the way to academia: I realized that stand-up comedy exhibits many of the tenets of adult education.
For example, when we watch stand-up comedy, we’re prepared to have our views challenged and/or changed—it is a readiness to learn. And when our strongly defended views are questioned and ridiculed, we’re prodded toward critical reflection. As we witness the absurd joke, the exaggerated character, and the bizarre comment, we’re introduced to ways we can increase and express our own creativity. Through the experience, we learn how to look at the world differently.
Just as Paolo Friere challenged us to examine how our social contexts have shaped us, so too do comedians offer us this challenge. Comics make us ask ourselves, “Whose interests are we trying to protect by not making fun of certain people, situations, or policies?” The willingness to appreciate the humor in a situation–without immediately taking offense–reminds one of the maturity aspect depicted in Malcolm Knowles’ “andragogic model of teaching”.
Some more instances of the similarities between adult education and stand-up include the following: Pittsburgh comedian Chris Ciardi says, “We all grew up in two-story houses. One story was what really happened. The other story is what we tell the neighbors.†Is this a show of insensitivity to a traumatic childhood wound? Or—is it an example of being able to put your history into proper perspective, and to be able to laugh at your situation?
When Steven Wright ponders, “Why don’t you ever see commercials for string? ‘This string is so good—it’s almost ROPE.’?â€, is he merely spouting a mundane observation? Or, is he actively questioning the status quo—and maybe even using valuable critical thinking skills?
Take Henny Youngman’s classic, “Take my wife….PLEASE!â€: Is it a gender-based insult? Or, is it a challenge to our habitual way of using and responding to our native language?
Who do you think does a better job of highlighting the plight of the politically oppressed? Cervero & Wilson? Or perhaps Cheech & Chong?
Is Joan Rivers insecure as she pokes fun at herself? Or has she reached Maslov’s self-actualization stage, where her ego is no longer important?
If you’re convinced that listening to Mozart in the womb makes a smarter baby, you might want to try having Comedy Central playing in the background as you’re trying to write your dissertation, work on that important project at work, or brainstorm for ideas. After all, it couldn’t hurt….
Until next time,
“Get Your SHINE Together!”
Trina
