501c3 nonprofit corporation  

Home | Supporters | Media | News | Wellness Projects | Reference | Donate | Contact | About

Photos | Audios | Videos | Press Articles
 
Media

Rx Laughter
Presentation Video
 
(5 minutes, 27 seconds) which describes our research and how we put it into practical use.


 

Good Morning America visits Rx Laughter 
(3 minutes, 13 seconds approx.)

 

 
Videos

These are lists of our videos. However, they links do not work due to a change in formatting since then. Therefore, the links on these names will no longer work. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Rx Laughter and the power of comedy - An Introduction:

Mom and young son: comedy for pain management:

Rx Laughter in Action:

Here are some short videos showing how Rx Laughter uses comedy to improve well being for pediatric patients. These videos were filmed during the Rx Laughter Advisory Board Tour several years ago. We apologize for the quality due to the older technology. Newer videos will be much clearer. Thank you for your understanding.

1. Eileen Brophy, Head Nurse, Outpatient Dialysis Unit at the UCLA Medical Center.explains the emotional comfort that these funny videos can offer as a complement to the Rx Laughter research into possible immune functioning benefits for these Pediatric Dialysis Patients (:30)

2. Tony Serrano, Outpatient Dialysis Pediatric patient watches Abbott & Costello with Chris Costello (Lou Costello's daughter). (1:20)

3. Chris Costello, daughter of Abbott & Costello's Lou Costello. (:35)

4. Justin Ybarra, Inpatient at Mattel UCLA Children's Hospital a few hours after surgery, watching Buster Keaton tapes with Edward McCabe, M.D., Ph.D., Melissa Talmadge Cox (Buster Keaton's granddaughter), George Solomon, M.D., and Michael Joseph M.D.. (1:37)

5. Edward McCabe, M.D., Ph.D., (Physician In Chief, Mattel UCLA Children's Hospital and Executive Chair of the Dept. of Pediatrics), Lonnie Zeltzer, M.D.,(Professor of Pediatrics & Anesthesiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences and Director of the Pediatric Pain Program) & Michael Joseph, M.D. (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics) discuss the Science of Laughter, Humor and Positive Emotion, it's role in Pain Management and why they believe Rx Laughter is an important project for the Mattel/UCLA Children's Hospital. (2:11)

6. Tony Serrano, Outpatient Dialysis patient at UCLA Medical Center, watches Marx Bros. film during treatments with Bill Marx (Harpo's son) & Chris Costello (Lou Costello's daughter). (1:40)

7. Lonnie Zeltzer, M.D. Co-Principal Investigator of Rx Laughter, Professor of Pediatrics & Anesthesiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Director of the Pediatric Pain Program at the Mattel UCLA Children's Hospital, UCLA School of Medicine) discusses specific current and ongoing Rx Laughter phases. Dr. Zeltzer explains how and where continued funding donations to
Rx Laughter are being utilized to help seriously ill pediatric patients both physically and emotionally. (2:49)

8. UCLA Medical Center Chaplain James Putney talks about the spiritual benefits of humor through his work with cancer patients. (2:32)

9. Justin Ybarra , Inpatient at Mattel UCLA Children's Hospital gets a visit From Bill Marx (Harpo Marx's son), and watches funny videos too. (Justin wrote a very heartfelt and touching note to Sherry Hilber a month later saying that these funny videos and visit by all of us took his mind off of the pain of the surgery of a a few hours earlier that day). (1:00)

10. Bill Marx (Harpo's son) explains his personal reasons for wanting to be a part of Rx Laughter. (1:20)

11. Margaret Stuber, M.D. (Principal Investigator of Rx Laughter, Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Director of the Child & Adolescent Liaison Services at the Mattel UCLA Children's Hospital) speaks of the educational and emotional aspects of this project as it relates to the family of the pediatric patient. (:55)

12. Peter Whybrow, M.D. (Physician In Chief of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Research Institute & Hospital and Executive Chair of the Dept. of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences) discusses past and present research on humor as a healer and the need for continued research. (1:39)

13. "I Love Lucy" writers Madelyn Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr. tell us why they are glad that "Lucy" tapes are part of this project. (:44)

14.George Solomon, M.D. (Professor Emeritus, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, Head of the UCLA Norman Cousins Psychoneuroimmunology Department at the UCLA School of Medicine) discusses Norman Cousins role in the connection between humor and health, and Dr. Solomon's desire for Rx Laughter to expand on needed mind/body research in this regard. (1:19)

15. Melissa Talmadge Cox (Buster Keaton's granddaughter) explains her personal experiences as it relates to the goals of Rx Laughter (1:06)

 

Special Thanks:
Filming of this event was donated by Ian Cook MD, David Hillary, Jeff Weinberger & the terrific lighting & camera team, through the generosity of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Research Institute chaired by Peter Whybrow MD.

Michael Sokey of Walt Disney Television did a wonderfully masterful job of editing these videos. Thanks Michael for your patience & collaborative spirit throughout the process.

In December, 2010, Shep Kaufman and his team at Idea Asylum donated their post production facilities and resources to convert these videos to the latest technology.