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Mood and Mind

10 BEST comedy moments to lift your mood

Need a lift? New research has found that laughing really does make you feel better – so we asked our readers for their funniest comedy moments for a fast mood fix

Watching a funny TV clip has been revealed as the most effective and efficient way to deal with feeling low, new research has found. In fact, one in six people said watching something funny on TV altered their mood the most the study (from the creators of the Deep Relief Pain Relief Gel) found.  Healthista asked our readers to send in their favourite comedy clips from TV shows to films and we chose 10 top moments for a quick mood-enhancing laugh. It’s healthier than drugs, after all.

Only Fools and Horses – Batman and Robin scene

batman and robin

The classic scene from Only Fools and Horses is `genius` according to teacher Angela Demetriou. `It’s the build up of the scene and the way writer John Sullivan cleverly incorporates the story of Councillor Murray being robbed to the idea of Batman and Robin coming to save the day. The fact Del is Batman instead of Rodney makes the scene even funnier because the sidekick is usually smaller than the leading part.`

Jimmy Kimmel – I ate my kids’ Halloween candy

jimmy kimmel

US TV host, Jimmy Kimmel, seems to enjoy making kids cry. For the past three years, he has asked parents to tell their children that they have eaten all their Halloween candy…and film their reactions. Whilst some kids `throw terrible but hilarious tantrums, others give the cutest responses despite their initial dismay` states Mathematics and Computer science student Dora Petrou. This is a must-watch for everyone – not just parents.

The Inbetweeners – Dance scene

inbetweeners dance

Everyone loves to indulge in the award winning The Inbetweeners from time to time. We had several clips sent in of the guys getting into embarrassing situations but the dance had to get a mention. As writer Helen Foster states: `Everything about it is brilliant. From Neil’s bad fake tan, to their facial expressions but my favourite bit is Will’s little horsey move. When I saw it in the cinema I was crying with laughter. Anything that makes you laugh that much deserves to be repeated.` We completely agree. Enjoy.

One of the best things about The Graham Norton Show is the infamous red chair where members of the audience try to impress Graham and the other guests with a story. If they succeed, they may walk away, if not – they’re flipped back.
graham norton - aileen
Healthista intern Kelcie  McKenney comments: `There’s something about the Red Chair that never fails to make me giggle. This particular Red Chair clip is comedy gold. The guest’s story is an absolute laugh and Graham’s comments just top it all off. No matter how many times I watch it, I still find myself belly laughing at the end.`
charlotte insert to post
Sometimes fart jokes and number twos are taken too far in comedy but in this instance, they got it right. Charlotte’s facial expressions and pure embarrassment of the situation is brilliant, and arguably the funniest moment of the entire film. Legal secretary Tanya Loizou Nakhl recalls: `I just remember watching it at the movies with my girlfriends and we cracked up, maybe because Charlotte is so proper, or because it could happen to anyone.`
ross - tan

Spanish and Portuguese student Danielle Lazarus sent in the tanning scene from Friends because Ross, who prides himself on being intelligent, `can’t do the simplest of tasks and ends up coming out with a tan of ten instead of a two.` Of course, the reaction he gets also adds to the hilarity of the situation, especially when Ross says `I went to that tanning place your wife suggested` and Chandler retorts `Was that place the Sun?`

Stoning scene in Life of Brian

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In true Monty Python fashion, they make something awful hilarious. `It’s the way the stoning rapidly escalates and how John Cleese, who’s meant to have authority, gets completely overthrown by the crowd. The fact men are acting as women who are then acting as men makes the clip all the more amusing with the crowd retorting in high pitched voices `she did` to suddenly low voices `he did` says insurer Steve Heylap.

boy on rollercoaster
Sometimes it’s the things you shouldn’t laugh at that are the funniest. For marketing director Janice Breen, it’s the poor boy’s fearful screams for his life and `the way Janice is having a laughing fit and doesn’t care that he’s gonna fall out` that make this clip hilarious.
tina fey sarah palin
We had to include some Tina Fey in our Top 10. Here’s a clip from Saturday Night Live where Tina Fey and Amy Poehler address the audience as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. The likeness to the two is uncanny and the script is highly amusing. ‘Tiny Fey is my biggest comedy crush and this was the clip that introduced me to her genius,’ says Healthista editor Anna Magee. ‘From there I discovered the pure comedy gold that is 30 Rock. Long live The Lemon.’
flight of concords 2
`I find this clip hilarious because Brett and Jermaine are so awkward and nerdy even when they’re trying to pull off being cool which just highlights how `non-gangster` they are,` explains researcher Candice Pool. `Their lyrics are completely discordant with the cool rapping scene, which kind of satirizes it. I particularly love the cheesiness of: `my lyrics are bottomless` and how Jermaine then just bobbles his head as if he can’t think of anymore lyrics, which is ironic. The total randomness of `Did Steve tell you that perchance?` and the very animated dance moves just crack me up too. Self-deprecation is the best humour.`
Thanks to everyone who sent in their favourites – unfortunately we couldn’t fit them all in but we hope these make you smile and chuckle at the very least.

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