# What, literally, makes us laugh? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 7, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-literally-makes-us-laugh/311476 "2005-07-07T17:04:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-literally-makes-us-laugh/311476/1 "2005-07-07T17:04:37Z")
In reference to the Staright Dope Classic Column [here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_326.html), 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. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-literally-makes-us-laugh/311476/2 "2005-07-08T01:08:03Z")
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._