Humor Helps New Orleans Survive Tragedy

"Many in New Orleans lost everything but their sense of humor. Have you heard the one about the evacuee who was out on a date?...In a city that mourns its dead with cheerful brass bands, where the Catholic cycle of Lenten penitence is ushered in with a drunken party, laughter has always been a part of life. Now, as a culture of gallows humor grows among storm survivors, residents are turning their misery into a punch line...Comedy clubs throughout the Gulf Coast say business is growing...Some national crises are too serious or tragic for most people to ever find amusing, even years after they've occurred...Even in New Orleans, there are limits....The Federal Emergency Management Agency is fair game, as are local politicians, insurance adjusters and anything to do with blue tarps."