The sad clown paradox: A theory of comic transcendence

One prevailing cultural sensibility of our time is a concern with the state mental health, another obligation and desire for good ‘sense humour’. At present two are conflated, most often through long-standing trope: sad clown paradox – those who make us laugh tend to be prone health problems. This article views ‘sad paradox’ as less about peculiarity or exceptional status comedian's mind, more how cognitive burdens modernity rendered bearable collectively recognised in thought sentiment by humour. Accounts comedy conflate anguish. By unpacking this knotted relationship, it argued that humour performs way contemporary people deal modernity's fragmentary character life from within their own inner worlds selves.