Greeson: Laughter proves to be the best Internet medicine

Lisa Denton laugh tile laugh lines
Lisa Denton laugh tile laugh lines

It's hard to pick up the paper, scan the interweb or catch three minutes of cable news without seeing an overflow of outrage. We read, we react and then we demand apologies.

It's a byproduct of the 24/7 news cycle and the connectivity of a social media construct that has made the world infinitely smaller and real-life human connections infinitely tougher.

photo Jay Greeson

Our technology connectivity is simultaneously a great advancement and a tragedy.

Maybe that's why Candace Payne's Internet video has gone viral.

Payne, a Dallas mom and a huge "Star Wars" fan, went to Kohl's last week to buy some yoga pants and left with a belated birthday present.

And Internet immortality.

Payne got in her car, flipped on her camera and revealed her Star Wars presents, which included a mask of the character Chewbacca.

Her self-deprecating humor, her personable approach and her gentle and joyous connection - as well as a true celebratory and genuine laugh - turned the social media reaction into the most-watched Facebook video ever. As of Monday afternoon it had been watched more than 135 million times, and she has been on almost every news outlet from NPR to "Good Morning America."

It really is glorious - the video itself, and our overall reaction to it.

For its part, Kohl's - which promptly sold out of the mask after Payne's video - delivered an array of Star Wars-related memorabilia and $2,500 worth of gift cards to the Payne family.

As for the viewing public, well, we understandably keep coming back to the video.

In a time when it's so easy to be bitter, it is a blessing to be reminded how much fun it is to laugh.

And Payne's laugh is everything that fun life moments should be. It's effortless and full and flowing.

She admitted to NPR she laughed to the point of tears, and it was a moment with which we all could identify.

That connection, even without knowing Payne, made it all the more real.

She looked equal parts super fan, and Christmas morning child. She united the unbridgeable divide that is social media.

There was very little hate. There was no discussion about how she looked or how she may have been insensitive to the feelings of a Wookie.

She has been approached by distribution companies about finding ways to make money off the video.

But in no way should that alter the moment of joy Payne shared with the tens of millions - and counting - people with the video.

In truth, creating something this pure and passionate should be compensated. And handsomely.

How many products are out there that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face? Payne's harmless and harmonious video is one of them, for sure.

And it's more than that.

It's the island of joy in the sea of social media angst. Payne did the unthinkable by putting on a mask and guffawing through growls to the point that she would have made a statue smile.

Beyond, the smiles and the giggles, it also spoke to countless folks who have reached out to thank her.

"I've had some people - they've sent me private messages, and they'll just say stuff like, 'Man, I've been battling depression. So-and-so passed away, and I hadn't laughed since they died and this video made me laugh again,'" she told NPR.

"I couldn't ask for more. It's just awesome."

Yes, it is, and for all the right reasons.

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6273. His "Right to the Point" column runs on A2 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

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