According to the National Calendar of Weird and Wacky Holidays, National Presidential Joke Day began on August 11, 1984.
During a soundcheck for his Saturday evening radio broadcast, President Ronald Reagan joked, “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”
It was intended as a joke, but the microphone was live, and the remark was recorded and later leaked to the press.
Presidents have commanded armies, signed historic legislation, faced wars and economic crises, and occupied the most powerful office in the free world. But they have also told jokes, played practical jokes, made self-deprecating comments, and occasionally said things that made the whole country laugh.
Abraham Lincoln was famous for self-deprecating humor. When a political opponent accused him of being “two-faced,” Lincoln reportedly replied, “If I had two faces, do you think I’d be wearing this one?”
Calvin Coolidge was known for being extremely quiet—and that itself became the source of jokes. In fact, he was dubbed “Silent Cal.” A woman seated next to him at a dinner party supposedly told him, “I made a bet that I could get more than two words out of you.”
Coolidge reportedly replied, “You lose.”
Harry S. Truman had a memorable quip about making friends in Washington: “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”
Barack Obama was accused by some of not being born in the United States. In one speech, he humorously alluded to that charge, saying, “There are few things in life harder to find and more important to keep than love.” Then he added, “Well, love and a birth certificate.”
Known as “The Great Communicator,” Ronald Reagan was probably one of the best presidents at using stories, jokes, and humor to score political points. Among them:
“The most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’”
Questioned about his age in the 1984 debate with Walter Mondale, Reagan famously shot back: “I am not going to make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Even Mondale laughed at the retort.
After being shot in 1981, Reagan reportedly joked to the doctors as he went into surgery, “I hope you’re all Republicans.”
Humor reminds us that even the most powerful people are still people. Presidents need laughter. Preachers need laughter. Elders need laughter. Parents need laughter. And all of us need the ability to laugh at ourselves occasionally.
The wise man observed regarding “life under the sun,” “there is a time to laugh” (Eccl. 3:4).
Elton Trueblood, the noted and often-quoted 20th-century theologian and author of 33 books on very serious subjects, once wrote a book entitled The Humor of Christ. It is said that Trueblood was inspired to write on the topic after reading Jesus’ words about a log protruding out of the eye of a hypocrite that made his four-year-old laugh (Matt. 7:3-5).
Jesus sometimes used humor, irony, and vivid exaggeration in making His points. The idea of a camel going through the eye of a needle was an amusing way to make a serious point about one’s attitude toward wealth (Lk. 18:25).
Much of the humor in the Bible is subtle and often hidden in the language differences. But there is humor found in irony, sarcasm, word-play, exaggeration, hyperbole, imagery, and funny situations.
The book of Proverbs has some expressions that will bring a smile to your face. “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion” (Prov. 11:22). What a visual description! Solomon certainly knew how to make a point people wouldn’t forget.
Are you downcast, discouraged, and disheartened? The Scriptural prescription is some humor in your life. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Prov. 17:22).
However, in an age where there is too much vulgarity, let us be careful to avoid humor that is coarse and crass, or that demeans others in a heartless or hurtful way, or that becomes a substitute for serious issues or avoids personal responsibility.
The Bible gives us an especially sobering warning: “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, ‘I was only joking!’” (Prov. 26:18-19).
Good humor can lift the spirit. Bad humor can wound the spirit. We can laugh at ourselves without laughing at others, enjoy humor without becoming vulgar, and find amusement in life’s absurdities without making light of what is sacred.
Regardless of your position in life, Dwight Eisenhower’s observation rings true: “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
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