SAJC GP 2023 Prelims P2 Insert

STANDREW’SJUNIORCOLLEGEJC2PRELIMINARYEXAMINATIONS GENERALPAPER 8807/02 Paper2 Friday, 25August2023 INSERT 1hour30minutes READTHESEINSTRUCTIONSFIRSTThisInsertcontainsthepassageforPaper2. Thisdocument consistsof 3printedpagesand1blankpage.

2 AllayaCooksexaminesthenatureof humour.1 The 94th Academy Awards Ceremony set the internet ablaze. Comedian and host Chris Rockmade a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair loss (caused by a medical condition). Then theworld watched as her husband, Oscar winner Will Smith, strodeontothestageandslappedhimwiththefull forceof furyandretribution. Of course, thepublicnatureof theincident madeit prettycompelling. What happenedwasunprecedented. But it struckachordfor somethingdeeper thansensationalism. 5 2 Most of us know the deep discomfort that comes with being witness to a tasteless joke, orexperienced the trepidation and vulnerabilitythat comeswithbeingthetarget of suchhumour. Atits worst — caustic, corrosive — it can feel like its own form of violence. Repulsive humouraffects all of us: it entraps us, giving us no good waytorespond. Youreact, youdon’t react; youspeak up, you don’t speak up. Is there a ‘right’ way to recover from seeing one person hurtanother? 10 3 The time-honoured defence to a poorly-received comment is, ‘It was just a joke.’ This flippantstatement implies that jokes cannot be truly offensive. Yet, as comedian Trevor Noah explains,‘Just because something is a joke does not meanit cannot besomethingelseaswell.’ Labellingsomething a ‘joke’ does not grant immunity, much less bestowthe ‘joker’ with freedomfromallresponsibility. Wordsmatter andhaveconsequences. 15 4 Often, society puts the burden of diffusion on the target of the joke. When made the butt of aninappropriate joke, individuals feel compelled to smooth it over and keep the peace, lestsomeone thinks that they are thin-skinned. After all, no one wants to be branded an overlysensitive snowflake. In fact, the very cliques that are accustomedtosuchcasual victimisationofothers are often violently offended by a defensive response from the person they ridiculed.Moreover, revealing the painof theinsult canopenthedoor toother triggersandhurt —someofwhich we may not fully understand. Rather than signal that we have been hit where it hurts,reveal our Achilles’ heel, and risk further harmto ourselves or our lovedones, wetakethejoke:we act like the toxic jibe did not bother us at all. We may evenlaughalong, hidingthepain. It isthesafest path. 20 25 5 For some groups, learning to react —or better yet, how to not react to a hurtful joke —is asurvival skill. Often, the minority or the underrepresented in their professions deal with anonslaught of humour and microaggressionsdirectedat their otherness. Conversely, anindividualembraced bythegroupastheexceptionisexpectedtolaughalongat jokesfocusedonothersofthe same race or background. Either way, it canmakeyoufeel exposedandvulnerableinawaythat makesjust showinguptotheofficeaheroicact of braveryandself-control. 30 6 So should jokes be off-limits? Not at all. We need humour and laughter. Humour inprofessionalsettings helps to build camaraderie, develop trust, and defuse tensions. Even in leadership,where jocularity is shunned, humour can project congeniality and authenticity. Surprisingly,self-deprecating humour can actually work to one’s advantage: research indicates that beingable to laugh at oneself can help boost psychological well-being and ease the grip of negativeemotions. 35 7 Agroup with mutual trust will often have inside jokes and tease each other, building a sense ofcohesion and belonging. Yet, it canget trickywhenwetalkabout teasingothers. Teasingsignalsaffection and knowing another person well, but it has to bepairedwithavigilanceinreadingtheroom and paying attention to the impact on others, regardless of intent. The burden is on thejoker not to cross that invisible line into emotional injury and malice. Making fun of others 40

3 (especially someone’s appearance, gender, race, identity, or anyother characteristic) doesmajordamage to inclusiveness and psychological safety. Even at its best, the slow drip of acidichumour contributes to a hostile work environment, sapping morale. At its worst, toxic jokes inpoor taste can inflict significant psychological harmand erode the foundation of safetyandtrustthat friendshipsandteamsarebuilt on. 45 8 The lines can get blurred, however, whenthesocial circleisdefinedbypeoplewhomostlythink,speak, and act in the same way. When the dominant culture at work is disconnected fromthebroader social norms, we can lose sight of the impact of ajoke. Theybecomefar removedfromwhat is acceptable behaviour. In addition, when the stakes are high and there is pressure tobeincluded with the dominant group, people are driven by self-preservation to make jokes at theexpense of others. Poisonous humour is used as an instrument to play for reputational gains,access to networks, leadership opportunities, influence and power. When humour is used as atool to divide —it is no laughing matter. The truthisthat, inthelongrun, nooneisawinner; theirreparabledamagecausedcanhurt everyoneinvolved. 50 55 9 Yet this vicious cycle prevails. When our own sense of belonging feels threatened, we may riskmaking an offensive jokeif weknowthat it will resonatewiththegroup. Onapsychological level,we do this because it is the cheapest and easiest way to reinforce our place in society at theexpenseof another person—abasicinstinct exerciseddaily, eveninschools. Wesawthiswhenthe idea of sexist and racist ‘locker-roomtalk’ washotlydebatedacrosstheUnitedStates, alongwith the pervasive idea that crude jokes and violent comments should be excused because ofthe setting in which they occurred. Myriadreasonswereproffered: boyswill beboys; it wasall injest and not in earnest; it is just aphase, anormal part of growingup…it wasevenPresidential,they said. But evenif theintent of theseoff-hand, casual commentsmight not bemalicious, theireffect on the psychological safety of everyoneintheroom—andeveryoneelsewhomayaspireto be —certainly is. When we give a workplace, bar or locker roomapasssimplybecausetheyhave always joked this way, it creates a culture where an ever-expanding group of people areexcludedandostracised, ripplingbeyond‘that oneperson’ whocouldnot takethejoke. 60 65 10 Inappropriate ‘comedy’ has a subtle but insidious impact ontrust, andthesociallymediatedwebof expectations that underpin groupdynamics. Jokes, bytheir nature, needcontext. Wecanonlypoke fun at what we can see. But making fun of someone’s health, race, sexuality, or anyothercharacteristic harms them and everyone else who might even tangentially identify. In otherwords, whenweridiculesomeonewithavisibledisability, thetauntsextendtoeveryoneelsewithahiddenor invisiblecondition. 70 75 11 The sting of hurtful jokes is something that we cannot avoid. Our first instinct may be to retreatinto denial, form rival factions to trade barbs, or strike back with our fists. Instead, a moreproductive, enlightened response would be to work together to increase understanding, call outcruelty for what it is, and seek reconciliation. And when we inevitably make a mistake and hurtothers, we should apologise with sincerity. What thenof humour’splaceinsociety?Well, reportsof its demise would be grossly exaggerated. Surely thereisnoneedtobeevil tobefunny. For ahealthy, victimlessdoseof laughter, howabout acat video 80

4 [BLANKPAGE]