Should we be using more humour?

Yesterday Jason Bryant posted a brilliant piece comparing DIY to doing project work for clients. It was just the thing for a Monday morning - light and funny. It was also a great comparison. And, because of the use of humour, it was memorable.

I read multiple articles a day but to be honest most of them I barely remember. The same could be said for many of the social media posts or adverts I see. When I think of the content pieces that have stood the test of time (and my autoimmune brain) the ones that shine through either have a very strong emotional story or made me chuckle.

Take a moment to think of an advert from the 1990s. Can you remember any? I can - but unprompted the only ones that come to mind are the very funny ones, such as Rowan Atkinson's Barclay card ads. There are then the Hamlet cigar ads - I have never been a cigar smoker but to this day I remember the brand thanks to some of the funniest ads. (If you have not seen them then keep going to the end!)

So why do we not use more humour? There are multiple reasons for this. Firstly it can be risky - you have to get humour just right. As a society I believe we have also become much more sensitive and, as a result, risk averse. There is genuine fear around using humour and offending people. Humour is also cultural - what makes a UK audience chuckle may fall flat with a German or Japanese audience. Again what might be appropriate in one country could offend people in a different country.

There is also the argument that healthcare is a serious field and therefore humour is not appropriate. In some countries the use of humour can also infringe on regulations such as the UK's ABPI. Back in 2011 Boehringer Ingelheim released their famous parrot video. I remember applauding them for their bravery in doing something different and funny. But the ABPI did not and the video was flagged for violating clauses 2, 9.1, 3.2, 22.1 and 22.2 of the ABPI Code of Practice. There was rapid back-tracking and "oh that was not meant to go live" responses.

However there are some great examples of the use of humour in healthcare. Sam Karim shares quite a few in his great post on this topic where he makes the case for the use of humour. I particularly like the Vinnie Jones British Heart Foundation video!

I believe we should be using more humour. It helps people remember the message - which is particularly important in disease education or awareness. You may not have symptoms now but if you can remember the funny ad then it might still save your life in five or ten years time.

Another argument for humour is it makes us more approachable and easier to talk to. As a patient advocate I quite often see the look in people's faces when I say I have an autoimmune disease. They may look away, not make eye-contact or mutter an awkward "oh". Often this is because they may have no idea what an autoimmune disease is and this places them in an uncomfortable position.

If I then turn that situation around with a light hearted comment or joke people lighten up. They then also feel more comfortable broaching the topic and perhaps even asking questions.

So I absolutely think we should be using more humour. Of course it needs to be done right. It must still be sensitive and I would caution against using humour around diseases without having got actual patients, from various backgrounds, involved. But I think if we want people to remember and engage with our health content then we should be brave and we should not shy away from humour. At the end of the day if in 10+ years time someone still remembers your disease education and it saves their life you have succeeded!

Rather like Hamlet cigars ....