That One ZOOper Fun Time

{Zoo Blog Post}

     Last week, Sam, Christy, and I decided to venture to the Fort Worth Zoo.  However, there were not a lot of people at the zoo, so finding people laughing was harder than we thought.  I also think that most children were either in silent awe of the animals or were crying because they wanted something they could not have, such as Dippin’ Dots.  Nonetheless, we witnessed a few instances of laughter. 

     The first video depicts a girl laughing on the Merry-go-round.  It seemed like she was laughing because she was having a fun time, rather than laughing in reaction to something else.  I would characterize her laughter as an example of both the Relief and Relaxation Theories.  The Relief Theory “interprets laughter as a natural venting or release of the emotions (and the body).  The Relaxation Theory embraces the idea that “laughter is fundamentally pleasurable, and people need to indulge in pleasurable feelings to moderate the stress in their lives.”  Although the girl necessarily was not moderating stress, she was using laughter as a form of enjoyment.  She appeared to be having a wonderful time riding the Merry-go-round with her dad.

     The next clip depicts a girl frolicking across a bridge.  The bridge was moving with her, so she was laughing at the mere action of running across a set of wooden planks.  Her laughter would also be an example of the Relaxation and Relief Theories. 

     Lastly, this clip depicts a reenactment of the first YouTube video ever uploaded: “Me at the zoo.”  Christy’s inspiration for this role was her love of elephants and her dream to one day own an elephant.  She practiced her lines for weeks on end and finally, decided to take those lines to the zoo for the actual shoot.  This reenactment will air on Animal Planet next Monday at 9/8C.  She is up for the Oscar for Best Reenactment of a Person at an Elephant Exhibit.