HUMOR can be used to defuse tension around controversial topics and raise awareness on social issues, two Thomasian writers said in a webinar on humor and satire on Apr. 26.
But in doing so, writers must be sensitive, sensible and steer clear of offensive humor, Prof. John Jack Wigley and Asst. Prof. Joselito de los Reyes said.
“Sensitivity at sensibility—there are tasteless insulting jokes and there are people who cannot seem to distinguish healthy humor from offensive humor,” de los Reyes said.
He said writers must first recognize their target audience and the purpose of their work.
“Understand the medium: Saan ilulunsad? Stage? Classroom? Social media? Each medium ay may katangiang naiiba. Different mediums, audiences and demographics require different senses of humor or jokes,” he said.
De los Reyes said the goal of writing humor is to evoke thought.
“Hindi kailangang nakapagbabago, tama na ang makapagnilay ang mga mambabasa. Dahil sa panahong ito, mas madaling tumawa kaysa sa mag-isip,” he said.
Wigley encouraged students and aspiring writers to explore humor as a genre, noting that Filipinos are naturally humorous people.
“If you can laugh at humor, then you can write humor and be funny,” he said.
De los Reyes and Wigley spoke in the webinar, “Pluma: The UST Literary Society Creative Writing Seminar on Humor and Satire,” held via Zoom. Sofia Bernice F. Navarro
