My laugh juices are flowing. I like to tell people to retell a funny story but without the humor. Then we ask them what makes the difference. Actually, it's funny just thinking about how you would go about telling a dull story. One time I had a nurse tell of preparing a man for the removal of his penis.
Women are cooperative and supportive.
There's a great book on this subject by Regina Barreca called, They Used to Call Me Snow White, But I Drifted. Humor is very useful in handling conflict. In the late 1850s, Abraham Lincoln was challenged to a duel. The other man agreed. End of fight.