Antinatalism and Depression XVII: All Humour Is Gallows Humour
Channel: Anekantavad
Date: 03/08/2012

Laugh. Just laugh.

This man, the French infantryman ("poilu" or "hairy one") was to me one of the great heroes of history http://image.toutlecine.com/photos/v/e/r/verdun-visions-d-histoire-1928-04-g.jpg not for his bravery or patriotism (although he never lacked these) but for his seemingly endless reserves of madcap black humour. "One eats, one drinks beside the dead, one sleeps in the midst of the dying, one laughs and one sings in the company of corpses." - Georges Duhamel, French Surgeon at Verdun 1916

Many of the photos taken at Verdun show smiling men with great bushy beards (hence the term "poilu"). This was held up as evidence that the French infantryman was equal to the task and was undaunted. There was probably some truth to this, but I have often felt that the smiles are more indicative of someone about to burst into laughter than some "iron patriotic determination".
http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/46/4622/J6NFG00Z/posters/hunt-robert-french-soldier-le-poilu-during-world-war-i.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2745722265_583fac9651.jpg


Trio's "Da Da Da" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZviYmTMpBXE
(Note the bleak, modern cityscape outside the window. The historic old city - like all German cities - was pulverized in WWII. Significant, no?)

Dadaism http://www.dadart.com/dadaism/dada/020-history-dada-movement.html

The Battle of Verdun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWJB6Y-3N5o