Fey’s comedic framing is not incidental; it’s part of the phenomenon. Humor often works as a pressure valve, turning private distress into a shared recognition that makes the load feel lighter. By laughing at blorft, people admit it without having to deliver a solemn confession. The made-up word also creates a shortcut: saying “I’m blorft” can communicate more than a long explanation ever could.
Still, the humor doesn’t erase the seriousness—it makes it speakable. In that way, the quote models a common human move: translating discomfort into something narratable, even witty, so it can be held at arm’s length long enough to be examined. [...]