The Tortured Newsletter Writers Department

Okay, the U.S. economic data that hit yesterday wasn’t good. And things are getting seriously tense on college campuses. We all need a little joy. And what’s more joyous than Tay dropping a double in an overnight frenzy this week? Maybe just as fun was the way dozens of brands jumped all over the surprise to pile on the endorphin rush. Some of our faves were the PBS dog (ofc) and the Empire State Building. You can check out many more hilarious hot takes in Jess Ruderman’s roundup in PRWeek.

You’ve been asking for it – and here it is

For a long time, we W+W folks have been banging the drum about the flex of using humor in clever ways to generate innovative ideas and strengthen relationships. Whenever we do this, y’all DM us asking for examples of how to do this in the real world. Sometimes we don’t get to hit you back, so by way of apology here’s a sleigh article from Hadiya Nuriddin, CEO of Duets Learning and a lecturer at the U of San Diego, with beaucoup cases of using humor in real-world business settings (if you can call business the “real world”).

Look to the cookie

A lot of us on the W+W team roll Gemini, so you know we’re the chameleons of the group. We can bust out with a dad joke – but we can also lay down a deep track on the philosophy of humor and comedy. So right now we’re gonna throw another log on the fire, grab a glass of cab and settle into this thought piece by Rob Long, a Hollywood veteran, on how the nature of what is funny has shifted over the past few decades. Believe us, if you’ve ever thought of celebrating Festivus (for the rest of us) or wondered why we all can’t just look to the cookie, you’ll appreciate it.

PepperPicks

Right after we hit send on this email, we’re jumping on the Amtrak Crescent line for the 12-day journey to N’awlins for Jazz Fest! If you’re headed that way, catch us at Atchafalaya for some of the best Cajun and Creole grub in the heart of the Garden District.