I am a person who doesn’t like to pick fights, and I avoid controversial topics like the plague. A 360 feedback analysis revealed that my biggest weakness is avoiding conflict instead of actively trying to resolve them. Thus, after listening to Professor Sach’s talk, I thought that addressing conflict and controversy from a humorous point of view was a very unique and creative way of taking an active stand for what you believe is right. 

Out of the examples that Professor Sachs showed us of how humor can be used to address environmentalism, “No Impact Man” made the biggest impact on me. I thought that the video was able to effectively communicate a message, and create a lingering consciousness within the audience that makes us pay more attention to our carbon footprint. This serious message was mixed with a humorous tone to entertain the audience. 

However, I feel like certain videos, such as the coal video and the Onion’s Prius video, lacked in seriousness and can easily be watched for a laugh but did not really create a lasting impression or a lingering thought in me. That makes me wonder if too much humor can take away from the main point that the producers want to get across. 

Addressing conflict with the right kind of humor can help both sides take a stand and communicate their point of view in a way that does not put the opposing party instantly on the defensive.