Goss tells Bernie that the problem with Berliners is that “You take nothing seriously. Everything’s a joke.” He goes on to say, “Never laugh in the face of villainy.” (p.71) What’s your opinion of this advice?
I absolutely agree you should never laugh in the face of villainy and because Berliners werent taking things seriously they continued to laugh not understanding a villain was taking over
I think this is an interesting question. It seems like laughing at villainy is the only break we get these days. It’s not that we’re ignoring it or excusing it or thinking it’s unimportant. It’s that we need to laugh at it to keep from crying.
I the context of the novel, though, I don’t know that Goss is right. People weren’t laughing at villainy so much as ignoring it.
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Laughing at villainy may indicate to the perpetrators that you do not care, or that you are minimizing the depth of the villainy. Berliners seemed to disbelieve the reality of the situation they found themselves in.
I do think that humor can be a very strong weapon against villains. Making fun of politicians and particular legal decisions has often been an effective defense and brough about change, Comedians and political cartoons have changed how something is perceived. Besides, personally I just need a break from the constant doomsday scrolling!
However, there is also a need to take things seriously.
I have lived in Berlin, and there is a feeling of not taking things seriously. There seems to be a desire to just leave everything alone and move on with your own life because “we are a big city.” There is more of a desire to have fun and be relaxed. The phrase that was often used was that if you wanted to get lost, go to Berlin. Of course, this is a generalization and is not entirely true, but I certainly felt a difference in Berlin than say Munich.
I agree. laughing gives them permission to continiue-- and push another step more.
Yet another parallel to what is happening in the U.S. Too many Americans voted to put a felon back in the Oval Office because they simply failed and/or refused to believe what he and his cronies were capable of doing once they got into power. Warnings were dismissed as hyperbole and exaggeration, and most voters didn’t bother to read even a portion of Project 2025, the despicable document laying out the plan for turning the U.S. into an authoritarian, Christian nationalist country. Now increasing numbers of those voters are expressing dismay and remorse. Hopefully, it is not too late to save our democracy.
I don’t think telling someone not to “laugh in the face of villainy” equates with not expressing one’s First Amendment right of expression. True villainy is no laughing matter, and I don’t see anyone in this country reveling in or making light of many things transpiring today such as a failure to respect the rule of law and comply with decisions rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court. On the other hand, if we don’t laugh at some of what is happening, we’ll end up sobbing in the corner and never accomplish any real revolt, which is so sorely needed. And the abject stupidity on display daily is certainly fodder for ridicule and humor, especially from professional comedians and commentators like the brilliant Jon Stewart who appears on The Daily Show. I never miss his appearances because his comments are bitingly hilarious . . . but he also makes very valid points and deftly tackles serious developments.
Humor can be a great coping mechanism, as many have said above. But of course it can’t be used as a way of allowing villainy to flourish. Ignoring villainy temporarily by joking can represent standing proud and refusing to be cowed, which is what I think the humor of the Berliners tried to do. Ignoring villainy and doing nothing about it, though, is something else. I wonder if, in our present situation, people who profess certain opinions on social media or in other “superficial” outlets, but do nothing else, sometimes represent the current version of doing little in the face of villainy.