Poking Fun At What We Fear Is Normal

Ariana Rodriguez/Contributing Writer

When news of a natural disaster pops up on our Twitter feeds, you’d think our first reaction is to panic. You’d imagine lines piling  up at grocery stores as people anxiously waited to purchase supplies, while those at home were glued to their TV screens, waiting for updates on seismic activity or the weather forecast.

But instead, it’s normal, and even beneficial, for people to poke fun at their impending doom.

I’ve been a Floridian since day one, and I can say I’m immune to the fear of hurricanes. I also make jokes about all the chaos hurricanes bring.

I don’t regret making jokes, and neither should you.

Here in Miami and all over the country, people aren’t scared of what they’ve already experienced. FIU students are ready to have a hurricane house party when they a storm is coming, but they wouldn’t think twice about making light of the situation if a tornado were approaching. Alternatively, FIU students from areas with lots of tornado activity would act normal or slip in a joke if a tornado was coming their way, but their reaction towards a hurricane would be quite the opposite. 

When Dorian hit, I realized that new FIU students or those who had just moved to South Florida were the only ones sweating with every news update. Everyone who had been through more than two storms were most likely unmoved by the notifications that popped up on their phones. On top of that, Floridians were crying from laughter whilst they sent Dorian memes because they were unafraid of the hurricane. 

Once the fear of the unknown has dissipated, there’s room for jokes. We joke about natural disasters we’ve already been through because, without humor, irrational fear would creep in.

It’s also beneficial to poke fun at these disasters even if they pose a potential threat. Making light of the situation is important if you want to keep your stress levels low while you’re waiting out the storm. Doing so cultivates a sense of community and takes your focus away from the chaos, at least for just a moment.

The next time you’re preparing for a natural disaster that you’ve been through, don’t feel guilty about making jokes while you are at it. Instead, laugh like the world is ending.

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

Featured photo from FIU Flickr.