Laughter is in fashion. Everyone laughs. People enjoy company in which laughter is the common means of exchange. But most of the laughter I hear nowadays strikes me as forced. Fake, that is. Which is why I find it nothing if not annoying. But even the shortest of searches on the World Wide Web tells a different story about forced laughter. It is a mood enhancer, claims one website, and it boosts psychological wellbeing. According to another, psychologists say that even a minute of forced laughter can help fight the blues. Yet another website argues that forced laughter can create real one, for laughter is contagious. It does not take me long to figure out that some of these claims come from sites advocating laughter yoga. One of these sites calls it a health and fitness craze sweeping the world. There is even such a thing as the American School of Laughter Yoga, and it is advertised as a leading edge in wellness. Wow! There is even a Wikipedia entry dedicated to laughter yoga. Apparently, it was made popular by a certain Madan Kataria, an Indian physician. His Laugh for No Reason (2002) is dedicated to the practice. And it is catching on like wildfire. Now it is practiced all around the globe, and especially by groups of elderly people who assemble in public parks. And so forth, and so on. I am afraid I will not be joining any of these groups, though. Laughter yoga is not my cup of tea. I will laugh when nobody else will. And I will laugh my head off. He who laughs last, laughs best.