What, literally, makes us laugh?

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

In reference to the Staright Dope Classic Column here, I think we now have an insight into why Cecil is so knowledgeable. The article was dated 1-Jan-1984 and it referenced a 7-Dec-1984 article from the Journal of the American Medical Association. So besides Cecil’s vast knowledge, he also seems to have access to documents published (to be published?) in the future.

On a side note, have you noticed that 1984, besides being a classic novel, is an especially good year for fighting ignorance? It seems to me that a majority of Cecil’s articles seem to come from that year. Perhaps that was the year his time machine was functioning correctly.

As for the OP - all I could get is that we laugh at stereotypes.

2

You beat me to it Corner Case.

I was going to say that what makes me laugh is that I am in cahoots with someone so wise that he can report on medical findings a year before they were published. But then, suggesting that I really know Cecil, I mean, none of us are that good…

Except perhaps the legendary Mrs Adams whom we hear about from time to time.