Gallows humor thread:

When there's a tough wildfire anywhere in the west, the same kind of absurd joke shows up:

"I don't think it will cross the Grand Canyon."
"We can hold it at the Pacific Ocean."
"We should back off to the Mississippi & burn out from there."
1/

Humor relieves stress and some humor, like the jokes above, become part of the culture, are expected, & met with groans. Part of the fun is thinking it but not saying it so you can yell at the one who says it first. Part of the skill is saying it at the right moment. 2/

I'm not sure there are COVID-19 equivalents yet, mostly because it's still new. As we slog through, specific gallows humor will start to appear. Some will become part of the med/epi/EM culture. If it's accepted within the circle of trust, it is not only OK, but likely needed. 3/

Dark humor is a trauma/stress coping mechanism because if you can joke about something, it makes it less threatening, more manageable. Humor also makes us more resilient. "OK, the fire won't really burn all the way to the Pacific, so where can we stop it?" 4/

The shared experience of taboo jokes about stressful and tragic subjects is critical and helps create a strong bond between those who choose to show up and deal with the crisis. The jokes belong with the people who do the hard, stressful work. 5/

Here's something Lincoln said:

“Gentlemen, why do you not laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon me day and night, if I did not laugh, I should die and you need this medicine as much as I do.”

6/

If a joke gets outside the circle of trust and is misunderstood by the media or public, we need to support each other. Just like we would never let a fire run from Idaho to the Mississippi River, so COVID-19 humor should be recognized for what it is. 7/

We need to use every stress reduction tool we have, including grim and ironic humor, but we need to use it wisely--none of this is a license to be an ass or engage in toxic or demeaning actions.

Keep laughing. 8/8