Economic disruption and uncertainty pose real dangers to business. Can humour help us navigate our way through?

Those of us of a certain generation grew up on Bugs Bunny and the Warner Brother’s Looney Tunes. A staple of those cartoons was The Tasmanian Devil – affectionately known as Taz.

Taz was complete chaos. He’d come spinning in like a cyclone, knocking over everything in his path. He was ferocious, vicious, and savage… but also mostly harmless. And that’s because he was an idiot.

Bugs Bunny was always hunted down by Taz. But by being calm, cool and collected, Bugs was always able to escape Taz’s horrible jaws. Bugs’ technique of out-wit and out-smart was the comic genius.

Fast forward to the global economy of 2025, and there are a lot of Tasmanian Devils that threaten to upend everything in their path. Tariffs are the best example. President Trump loves tariffs, precisely because of the confusion and chaos they create.

It’s no laughing matter, especially to the tens of thousands of workers in industries like steel, aluminum, lumber and automotives who have already lost their jobs.

But is it possible that a little humour can keep us calm? The point of the humour isn’t just to make a joke and laugh. The point of the humour is to build trust, form connections and keep our heads clear enough to make good decisions.

After all, Bugs Bunny understood very well the danger he was in when Taz came roaring into town. But rather than reacting with panic, he made fun of the situation, and used Taz’ stupidity against him. The humour was his technique to remain calm under extreme stress and danger.

So what does this mean for a country like Canada, which is squarely in the crosshairs of the tariff tantrum? Logical and practical negotiations don’t seem to be working, at least not yet. But rather than lighting our hair on fire every time that Trump raises tariffs or cuts off speaking to us, we could react with a bit of humour.

At the end of the World Series, which Los Angeles won at the last moment, perhaps our Prime Minister could have tweeted out:  “Toronto was good enough to let L.A. win, so perhaps America could lower the tariffs? After all, one good turn deserves another.”

Of course, a joke like this doesn’t solve the problems. But it just might be enough to keep everyone’s head calm. It reminds us of the lunacy of the situation, as serious and dire as it appears to be.