What’s making you laugh?
Humor disarms. It lowers our guard just enough to make us open to ideas we might otherwise resist, and it reminds us not to take everything quite so seriously. That’s especially valuable in a season like this one. Fall always moves fast, between back-to-school routines, holiday planning and the sprint to year end. This year, the broader moment adds its own weight: midterms around the corner, the second tax deadline just behind us, economic unknowns, and the roller coaster that is AI.
A good laugh interrupts all of that, even if only for a moment. We loosen up, feel a little less alone, and return to the hard things lighter than we left them. At minimum, a good laugh is a shot of espresso for the mood. At its best, it helps us see something from a new perspective. And while we won’t all laugh at the same things, everyone, in every chapter of life and from every point of view, can find joy in laughter.
Most days, my first laugh comes from my son, Charlie. It’s impossible not to laugh alongside an 18-month-old who dances wherever he hears music, including in grocery store aisles, goes on daily hunts for our belly buttons, and swats at his shadow, trying to make it stop following him. He’s a constant reminder that laughter is innate to all of us.
Toddler antics aside, here’s what else is making me laugh right now. I hope one of them inspires a laugh of your own.
Apple TV show Ted Lasso. Ted is back in England for a fourth season, this time coaching a second-division women’s soccer team. The humor runs throughout: profound, belly-aching, and at times fantastically dumb. It’s also the rare show that can get every generation in the family laughing together.
Podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler. Amy Poehler, the inspiration for today’s title, hosts this Golden Globe-winning podcast, and you’re all but guaranteed to recognize at least one guest. She and her guests have meandering conversations about their careers, their lives, and, importantly, what’s making them laugh. It’s easy listening, and it has deepened my appreciation for comedy and entertainment.
All things Marcello Hernández. The Saturday Night Live breakout has quickly moved beyond the show, with a movie and stand-up special on Netflix, a turn hosting the ESPYS, and stops on late-night TV and podcasts. His humor might not be for everyone, but he regularly has me doubled over. For a two-for-one, check out Marcello’s guest appearance on Good Hang.
I hope you’ve found one thing to laugh about today, and if you haven’t, let this Weekly be your reminder to find one.
Sydney Yang Hoffman