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The laughter of the 1962 Tanganyika ‘laughter epidemic’
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Christian F Hempelmann
Published/Copyright:
March 12, 2007
Abstract
The present article discusses the role of laughter in the much cited ‘laughter epidemic’ that occurred in Tanganyika in 1962. Despite its extraordinary nature, the veracity of the event is confirmed, crucially on the basis of similar reports. But most current representations are flawed by their exaggeration and misinterpretation of the role of laughter in the event, relating it to a humorous stimulus, a virus or environmental contaminant, or identifying it as contagious laughter. It is argued that the event is a motor-variant case of mass psychogenic illness of which laughter is one common symptom. Therefore it cannot serve as support for other arguments in humor research.
Published Online: 2007-03-12
Published in Print: 2007-02-20
© Walter de Gruyter
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Articles in the same Issue
- The interaction of cartoonist's gender and formal features of cartoons
- How native and non-native English speakers adapt to humor in intercultural interaction
- The laughter of the 1962 Tanganyika ‘laughter epidemic’
- Burnout and humor relationship among university lecturers
- Book reviews
Keywords for this article
Africa;
Laughter;
laughter epidemic;
mass hysteria;
mass psychogenic illness;
Tanganyika
Articles in the same Issue
- The interaction of cartoonist's gender and formal features of cartoons
- How native and non-native English speakers adapt to humor in intercultural interaction
- The laughter of the 1962 Tanganyika ‘laughter epidemic’
- Burnout and humor relationship among university lecturers
- Book reviews
