Editorial: Laughing all the way to the bank

It must be a sign of how serious, stressed-out and generally po-faced we have become as a society that more and more people are ready to part with their cash in order to enjoy a good giggle.

As we report today, laughter clubs are a booming business these days, some involving rising at dawn for a pre-work chuckle induced by someone on the other end of the telephone.

Granted, science increasingly attests to the health benefits of laughter, and anything medicinal in this world invariably comes with a price tag attached.

Still, the growth of laughter clubs does suggest that a lot of people’s lives are missing a necessary element of fun. Getting together for a hoot is fine; having to pay for the privilege – well, you wonder who the joke is on.