Latest news with #humour
CTV News
3 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
No funny gene: your humour has nothing to do with DNA
A new study says your sense of humour is not genetic. (Credit: Pexels) A new study is challenging the long-standing notion that a good sense of humour runs in the family. Led by Dr. Gil Greengross of Aberystwyth University and published in Twin Research and Human Genetics, the study is the first to examine the heritability of something known as humour production ability (HPA), the skill of creating humour that makes others laugh. 'People are different in their sense of humour, so not everyone is funny,' Greengross said in a video interview with 'Some are funnier than others, so an interesting question is what's the source of these differences.' Humour has long been considered a trait that promotes social bonding, reduces stress and increases attractiveness. But this new research, based on more than 1,300 adult twins from the U.K., suggests that, at least when it comes to producing jokes or witty remarks, the funny bone might not be inherited. To explore this, the researchers used the twin study method, comparing identical twins (who share 100 per cent of their genes) with non-identical twins (who share about 50 per cent). 'If identical twins are more similar to each other on a certain trait, then we can conclude that the trait has more genetic basis,' Greengross explained. Participants were asked to write humorous captions for two cartoons, then independent judges rated how funny the responses were. The participants also reported their overall health, assessed their own humour ability and rated the funniness of their co-twin. While intelligence, creativity and even humour appreciation have previously shown moderate to strong heritability, HPA did not. This suggests that growing up in different environments may have a much stronger impact on developing this skill than shared genes. 'To our surprise, we found very little to no genetic factor, and all the individual differences could be attributed to the two environmental factors: shared and non-shared environment,' Greengross said. The researchers, however, did find that self-rated humour had a strong genetic component. 'We asked each twin to evaluate how funny they think they are, and also they rated the co-twin — and their rating corresponds,' said Greengross, adding that there was a very strong correlation on how identical twins think about their sense of humour, but with non-identical twins, it was random. 'So, if maybe your parents think they have a great sense of humour, you're (also) more likely to think you have a great sense of humour,' he said. We're not as funny as we think Researchers say people's opinions of how funny they are does not line up with how funny others think they are. In one cited study, 93 per cent of men and 87 per cent of women rated themselves as having an average or above-average sense of humour, something Greengross describes as 'a statistical impossibility' and 'psychological bias.' 'We can't rely on self-reporting,' Greengross said. 'We can maybe ask your parents, your friends to say how fun you are, but that also has its own biases.' He said the best way is to get people to produce humour and then evaluate it separately, which is what the study did. The disconnect between real and perceived humour may be tied to personality traits. For example, extroverted people tend to rate themselves as funnier, while those who score high on conscientiousness tend to be less confident in their ability to make others laugh. Humour can come from family dinners Comedians who took the same cartoon caption task in earlier studies scored 'several orders of magnitude higher than the general population,' researchers said. But this doesn't necessarily mean their skills are genetic either. Toronto-based comedian Sarah Ashby says her comedic instincts have been shaped by 'a little bit of both' genes and environment. 'I lucked out,' Ashby said in a video interview with 'I grew up with a very funny family, that's kind of where I got my roasting style from, which is great. (At the) dinner table, everyone's roasting each other in front of the roast,' she said. Moving to a new environment changed her approach. 'I came to Toronto and started doing comedy here. I could definitely feel my humour change a little bit more and adapting,' Ashby said, saying humour shifts across social settings. 'Even at home with my roommates, I have hilarious jokes that we have all together, and then with my family, we have other jokes too,' she said. 'So, it's really fun to be able to bounce between different styles.' 'Humour is currency in the house' For identical twin comedians Randy and Jason Sklar, the idea that humour is learned rather than inherited isn't just a theory — it's their lived experience. 'Comedy or humour is currency in the house,' Jason said in an interview with 'If you want approval from your funny parent, and you do something funny, and then you're reinforced positively for that, you're going to do it again.' That environment is deeply woven into their family routines. 'We see that in our kids, and we encourage it in our kids,' Jason said. 'I think that's important. When our kids do something funny, we laugh at them, we give them credit, we get excited.' Despite being identical twins who perform as a single comedic unit, the brothers draw on very different lives as parents. 'I'm about to be an empty nester,' Randy said. 'Jay's got an 11-year-old kid… I'm in a different juncture in my life than he is. And, you know, two teenage daughters is a different animal than what he is going through.' Those different experiences feed their act — and they say they help explain how humour develops through lived experience. 'If we were around each other all the time and didn't have families and didn't have kids … I think that would be really suffocating and difficult,' Randy said. 'But… it certainly allows us to work together.' Their shared belief? A funny family culture makes a lasting impact. 'We both have instilled within our kids, the value of being funny amongst their friends and in whatever they do,' Randy said. 'A sense of humour will be at the core of who they are.' More research needed in finding funny Researchers also looked at other possible influences. Most participants in the study were women over 60, meaning potential age- or sex-related effects could have been missed. Some studies have found that heritability for cognitive traits decreases after age 65, while other traits may show stronger non-genetic influences as people age. Greengross also clarified that while twins were used to isolate genetic from environmental effects, the findings apply to the general population. 'Twins are used just because they have this unique genetic connection and they were the same age that allow us to do this comparison in a more controlled environment — as a result, (the findings) apply to the whole population.' Despite using a well-established method and a large sample, the authors note that 'humour ability is a multifaceted phenomenon' involving complex cognitive and personality traits that may not be easy to measure. They stress that small genetic effects can't be ruled out and that future studies, ideally with younger, more diverse samples, adding that different testing methods are needed to better understand whether humour ability has a heritable component at all.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lenny Henry, 66, says humour was his 'sword and shield' while battling racist bullying in his childhood because it encouraged others to 'protect him'
Lenny Henry has revealed he used humour as his 'shield' against racist bullies during his childhood, because it encouraged others to 'protect him.' The comedian, 66, opened up about his past growing up in Dudley in a new interview, where he detailed the challenges of being in the 'maelstrom' of divided Britain in the mid 1960s. Speaking to The Sunday Times' Culture Magazine, Lenny shared that much of his defence from racism came from his late mother Winifred. He said that Winifird herself had 'horrible things' shouted at her in the street after she migrated to the UK from Jamaica as part of the Windrush Generation. At the time, black children living in Dudley were advised to go out in pairs due to the fear of racist abuse they endured. Tensions were heightened when Conservative Enoch Powell delivered his much-criticised Rivers Of Blood speech about immigration in Birmingham, for which he was accused of stirring up racial hatred. But Lenny said he realised he could use his humour as a defence against the abuse, telling the publication: 'We were in the midst of this maelstrom, but you don't know that when you're kids. You just gravitate to people who like you, or want to snog you.' 'My humour became my sword and shield. I could deflect something with a joke. I was being beaten up by one kid when I started to talk about the ridiculousness of us rolling around on the floor like we were married. People started to laugh and suddenly people thought I was worth something. 'I was still punched, but I'd have people protecting me. I had three white friends by the time I was 12: Greg, Mac and Tom. I still know them today and they saved my life, really. They encouraged me to be funny.' In the interview, Lenny also reflected on his relationship with his late mother, who died in 1998, sharing he still goes to 'grief therapy' in the wake of her passing. Detailing his own mental health struggles, the Broadchurch star said he feels people have gotten better at admitting they 'need help' over the past decade, something he's encouraged after losing several friends to suicide. Earlier this year, Lenny who is currently starring in the play Every Brilliant Thing at London's Soho Place, hinted he may be making a return to stand-up comedy after a 15-year hiatus to focus on acting. Speaking about his return, Lenny told The Mirror: 'It's been a while, but there are plans in motion.' He hinted that his new material could include a mix of classic and fresh content and teased that some of his iconic characters from The Lenny Henry Show, such as Theophilus P. Wildebeeste and Delbert Wilkins, might make a reappearance alongside modern creations. He explained: 'It might just be me talking to the audience, but I love weaving in the characters. It's the 21st century, though, so I want to try something new.' The comedian also addressed concerns about navigating today's comedy landscape, saying: 'People can say anything they like, as long as they edit themselves. If you can't self-edit, that's when you're in trouble.' Sir Lenny first made his mark on shows like Tiswas and as a warm-up act for comedy greats Morecambe and Wise. More recently, he's earned acclaim for his acting, including a role in Harlan Coban's Netflix hit Missing You earlier this year. With his comeback on the horizon, Lenny said he's inspired by changes in society and politics, describing the current climate as 'a massive smorgasbord of subject matter.'
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Gwyneth Paltrow's Astronomer paycheck may have run into millions, biographer reveals
Gwyneth Paltrow's brief but buzzy stint as the face of crisis-hit tech firm Astronomer has sparked fresh headlines over how much she was paid. While neither the company nor the actor-entrepreneur has disclosed official figures, Paltrow's biographer claims the paycheck may have reached 'millions.' In a video posted on July 26, journalist and author Amy Odell, who wrote Gwyneth, said Paltrow's partnership with Astronomer was short but lucrative. 'She was likely paid in the millions,' Odell said, noting that this was in line with other high-value endorsements the Shakespeare in Love star has taken on in recent years. Among them: a $1.6 million appearance fee at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia and a reported $1.25 million partnership with Swarovski. Paltrow also attended the SKIMS x Swarovski launch last year, showcasing jewellery reportedly valued at up to $250,000. According to Odell, she's previously earned similar figures for endorsing brands like Copper Fit. Astronomer, a cloud data platform, drew attention earlier this month when its former CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristen Cabot were caught in an alleged affair on the Coldplay concert jumbotron in Boston, appearing close and then ducking out of the frame. The incident went viral, eventually leading to both executives stepping down. For crisis management, Astronomer brought on Paltrow — who is Coldplay frontman Chris Martin's ex-wife — as a temporary spokesperson. In a video posted by the company on July 25, Paltrow addressed the public with humour, saying: 'I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300+ employees at Astronomer.' She sidestepped the controversy and instead promoted the company's core services in data workflow automation. Astronomer's new CEO, Pete DeJoy, later addressed the media storm on LinkedIn, noting that while the attention was unexpected, the company remained focused and resilient.
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
'It's electric': Celebrating Disability Pride in Australia
Using humour to challenge perceptions of what it is like to live with a disability - it's an approach writer and performer Emily Dash uses in her storytelling, in theatre and film, to dismantle stigma and stereotypes. A full-time wheelchair user, she lives with cerebral palsy - a disability that affects movement and posture. She says her art takes inspiration from real life. "My mission when it comes to artistic works is to reveal truth about me and my life - and my lived experience - in the way that serves not only me, but also inspires other people to reveal something about theirs. That would be my mission and to break down attitudinal barriers so that disability will just be front and centre in society and not in the margins." What you're about to hear is how that came together in her short film 'Groundhog Night'. It explores the family dynamics between carer Gary, his disabled daughter Jess, played by Emily Dash, and the in-laws who visit unexpectedly. In this scene, Gary is kissing his date goodnight outside the door of his home when he is interrupted by daughter Jess. And for Emily, no topics are off the table - including relationships, as heard on-stage at this year's Adelaide Fringe Festival. Emily is among disability advocates featured at this year's Disability Pride Sydney festival. Organiser Hannah Solomons says the event is being held for the fourth year, and it centres disability inclusion and accessibility, with sign language support, audio description and mobility access. "We're making some progress, but we still need desperately need it (a Disability Pride festival). The amount of hate we're getting on our Facebook page is proof of that. The discussions around the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). There is still this idea that we're not a valuable part of society and we should just go away. So if you are shamed and rejected, the best antidote to that is to find your tribe and get together and celebrate yourself in public. We're taking up the space and demanding to be included." The festival is part of a broader global movement of Disability Pride first marked in an event 35 years ago in the United States city of Boston, to mark the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Globally, an estimated 1 billion people have a disability - or 15 per cent of the total population. In Australia that number is 5.5 million people - more than 20 per cent of the population. The census shows the number of people with a disability is growing across all age groups below the age of 70 - at that point the number stabilises. It also shows that disability discrimination affects one in 10, with that number increasing to 1 in 5 for those with a more severe disability. It affects all arenas in society: the workplace, hospitality venues and interactions with strangers in the street. Hannah Solomons says despite the size of the disability community, the diversity of it is poorly understood. "The responsibility is on all of us to not have a lazy brain. Because if there is a person that is different to us and we don't have experience of our lives, our brain will take the easy way out; and try to box them - and give them a two-dimensional picture in our heads. And that leads to horrible behaviour like you're lying if you have invisible disability; or you're worthless if you have a visible disability; or both. And none of that is okay. I don't know why our society is still so ableist (discrimination against people with a disability). But it is. I could cite statistics that could make your hair curl. The stigma is still there. We're not accepting it. We're not okay with that any more." Dancing her way on stage and suspended in the air by hanging on a pole with one arm is Deb Roach. The three-time world pole dancing champion has performed at multiple editions of the Disability Pride Sydney festival. Born without most of her left arm, Deb has always cultivated a positive mindset, but it hasn't been without it challenges - including bullying in her younger years. Dance and DJ-ing proved to be important outlets for self-expression, but it was her introduction to pole dancing that really solidified her self-confidence as an artist and advocate. It all started 18 years ago, when she watched a performance at a gothic carnival-themed event - and was absolutely mesmerised. "And these two pole dancers - they were Missy and Suzie Q - did a doubles routine where they were marionette puppets who broke free from the puppet master's strings. And they I had never seen pole in a circus context and the storytelling, the theatre, the athleticism. My mind was absolutely blown. I was backstage with those girls and I said: 'You are amazing with your two arms and your poledancing. That was mindblowing. I wish I could do what you do.' And their response to that was: 'Have you tried?' And I am a little bit like Marty McFly from (the film) 'Back to the Future' in the sense that if I am challenged I show up." Five years later she won her first pole champion title, going on to win two more. Now as a pole dance studio owner, she guides others in redefining the idea of what is possible. She has also been involved in the movement to increase the representation of Australians with disability in advertising from less than 1 per cent - and towards population parity. Led by the Dylan Alcott Foundation, the Shift 20 campaign is already having an impact, with more and more events that are access-first and access-forward. Deb Roach credits events like the Disability Pride Festival with building a strong sense of community. "It's electric - I love it! I really struggled growing up. I am a feisty individual and I didn't claim the disability - my label as a person with a disability - until I was until I was well into my late twenties. I refused to interact with it. You know, I just wanted to be a person who was a good athlete - and a good human being. But it was the disability pride movement that really helped me lean into the belonging and that sense of healing that I didn't even know that I needed in the community connection - in the space and in that room - and in that togetherness." Also featured at this year's festival is songwriter and performer Dean Nash. These days he sings and speaks frankly about living with cerebral palsy, but it wasn't always that way. "So the way that I walk is difficult. And I don't have a lot of function of my left arm and my left hand. I can't move my fingers all that independently. But I have learnt to play the piano - in my opinion, quite well - with the use of just six fingers. When I first started playing, the general feedback would be: 'oh, you don't play like everybody else does'. But once I got good at what I was doing, the narrative shifted to: 'oh, nobody plays that like you do'. And so to me that is a real highlight that a different approach to something doesn't necessarily mean a lesser one. It simply means a different one." He says he has found the arts to be a powerful medium to start conversations. "Art has a tendency to be the cornerstone of changing hearts and minds. I think cultural change really starts with the stuff that we're putting out in our media. We are the largest minority group in the world because anybody can join this group at any time. And I think that is a really confronting thought for a lot of people. I have a joke in my show where I say there are only two kinds of people in the world: there are disabled people and pre-disabled people. And the disabled audience members cackle at that; and the rest of the audience has a slow intake of breath." Emily Dash says she hopes her advocacy makes the path easier for others, moving disability from the shadows to centre stage. "I am grateful for all the people that have not only come before me but will come after me to get this mission off the ground. The latest statistics show that only four per cent of main characters onscreen have disability in drama. So there is a really long way to go yet. And even when there is representation, it is important to make sure that that representation is done authentically putting people's lived experience at the centre." The Sydney Disability Pride Festival takes place on Saturday 26 July at Sydney Town Hall from 10am until 4pm.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lindsay Lohan opens up about the comfort and how ‘safe' she feels in her 22-year-long friendship with Jamie Lee Curtis
Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis—who charmed audiences as the chaotic but lovable mother-daughter duo in Freaky Friday (2003)—are back together in the much-anticipated sequel Freakier Friday , set to release in theatres on August 8. As part of their promotional tour, both stars reflected on their enduring off-screen bond that has lasted over two decades. Speaking to People magazine, Lohan recalled the deep impact Curtis had on her life, especially during her turbulent teenage years. 'Jamie was with me at a time in my life when I was going through a lot publicly,' said Lohan, who was just 16 when the original film began production. 'She was really there for me.' Curtis echoed that sentiment, highlighting the depth of their relationship. 'I know I can trust her. And I can't say that about a lot of people,' she shared. 'If I tell her something, it's gonna stay with her. We've both been through hard things, 'cause we're alive and life is hard. And we're not dead yet. So the truth of our experience together—it belies all of the kind of showbizzy stuff. We connected, and we really stayed connected. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Studio & 1 BHK at ACE Nest – Book with ₹5 Lacs Only! Ace Noida Book Now Undo That is special and rare for me.' Lohan added, 'I have to feel safe around people. And Jamie is one of those people for me. I feel very safe with Jamie. I feel safe telling her things.' In Freakier Friday , Lohan reprises her role as Anna, now a grown woman and mother to a teenage daughter, played by Julia Butters. Curtis returns as Tess, Anna's ever-spirited mother, now stepping into the role of a quirky grandmother. The sequel promises to rekindle the original's blend of heart and humour while exploring generational shifts through a modern lens.
