Humor, a good sense of it, is to Americans what manhood is to Spaniards and we will go to great lengths to prove it. Experiments with laboratory rats have shown that, if one psychologist in the room laughs at something a rat does, all of the other psychologists in the room will laugh equally. Nobody wants to be left holding the joke.

Summary

This quote suggests that humor holds great significance in American culture, akin to the importance placed on manhood in Spanish culture. It humorously implies that Americans will go to great lengths to demonstrate their sense of humor, even gleaning inspiration from experiments with rats. The mention of psychologists laughing at a rat's actions emphasizes the strong social pressure to join in and not be left out, emphasizing the cultural value placed on humor in American society.

Topics