Making a Big Apple crumble: The role of humor in constructing a global response to disaster

Abstract

Hereby we present the translation of the article by the prominent American folklorist Bill Ellis, the author of numerous articles on humor and urban legends. The article analyzes the folk reaction to the September 11 attacks. As exemplified by this material, the author demonstrates how disaster-lore helps the audience cope with traumatic and frightening events.The paper is published in abridged form.