At what point during a person's development is giggling no longer permitted? I must confess that I still giggle... I giggle a lot! There are many moments nearly every day when I giggle at something I find amusing or slightly ridiculous. Yet, for many others the straight faced smirk or the open guffaw are really the only acceptable responses of amusement. Since when did these extremes take over as the binary opposition of humor?
I propose that we reinstate the giggle and take ourselves less seriously. I'm tired of getting the eye-roll or the straight stare when I giggle away. I think that's rude. I also find that giggling is one way for me to let out some of that stress that gets cramped up in my brain.
Perhaps, if I theorize the giggle... if I chose to describe the giggle as touch of the real, or as the theoretical glance, the pause of humor... the flirtation with the text... maybe then giggles would become as serious as guffaws and smirks. May be then Mona Lisa's "original" smile wouldn't seem as outlandish as critics might assume.
Sorry, but giggling stays. That's that. Even when I'm a crusty, old professor, I hope to giggle at the absurdity of my students' papers... or even at the absurdity of my own work.
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