On V-E Day and the Radical Power of Humour
This month marks the 80th anniversary of V-E Day—the day the Allies prevailed after six years of war. Amid the solemn commemorations, it's worth remembering one of our most unexpected secret weapons: humour.
As Spike Milligan—wartime gunner turned legendary British comedian (only half-jokingly) put it, the reason the Allies won? “We had the best jokes.”
Humour in wartime wasn't just comic relief—it was resistance. It mocked fear, punctured pomposity, and reminded people they still had control over their spirit, if not their circumstances. The ability to laugh in the face of adversity wasn’t escapism—it was survival.
And in our own fraught moment—marked by raging wars, climate chaos, ecological collapse, and creeping authoritarianism—that kind of laughter is more vital than ever. A good joke doesn’t solve the problem, but it makes the weight a little more bearable.
“Life is too absurdly capricious to confront with high seriousness.”
—Peter Aspden
Jemima Kelly cites a national poll suggesting we’re in the throes of a collective “laughter deficit.” And your average brand isn’t helping. Most take themselves too bloody seriously—while paying lip service to the issues that matter.
At Liberation Kilt Company, we see humour not as a distraction, but as the delivery system.
Have a look around. You’ll soon see what we mean.
