“Laughter is like a windshield wiper. It doesn’t stop the rain, but allows us to keep going” is a saying that has been printed on many images. “Le rire c’est comme les essuie-glaces, il permet d’avancer même s’il n’arrête pas la pluie” (in French) has also been printed on many images.
 
The saying has been cited in print in 1997 (in English) and in 1998 (in French), and has been credited to French actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer Gérard Jugnot.
     
     
Wikipedia: Gérard Jugnot
Gérard Jugnot (born 4 May 1951) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer.
 
Google Groups: rec.travel.cruises
To Cheryl re. Century
Cheryl
9/30/97
(...)
Laughter is like windshield wipers, it permits you to go ahead even if it does not stop the rain - Gerard Jugnot
       
Google Groups: soc.culture.french
[crim] - precision : le premier genocide ?   
Ricochet
5/12/98
(...)
“Le rire c’est comme les essuie-glaces, il permet d’avancer même s’il n’arrête pas la pluie!”
Gérard Jugnot
 
Twitter
cynch
@cynthiaborromeo
LAUGHTER is like windshield wipers. it doesn’t stop the rain but helps you to move forward - from a comedian of haitian descent
11:32 PM - 23 Jan 2010
   
Twitter
Jag XKs
@jagxks
“Laughter is like windshield wipers, it allows us to move ahead even though it does not stop the rain.” Gerard… http://fb.me/NfryP3E1
7:57 AM - 18 Jul 2011
       
Reddit—Quotes
“Laughter is like a windshield wiper, it doesn’t stop the rain but allows us to keep going.” - Unknown (self.quotes)
submitted October 13, 2015 by lucyindsgs
COMMENTS
gnorrn
The quote appears to be French in origin. The French equivalent:
 
Le rire : comme les essuie-glaces, permet d’avancer même s’il n’arrête pas la pluie
 
is attributed to French actor and director Gérard Jugnot in several sources, the earliest I’ve found dating from 2003
   
Google Books
Une époque formidable:
Mes années Splendid
By Gérard Jugnot
Grasset
2016
Pg. 90:
C’est sûrement à cette époque que je formulai un aphorisme qui aurait pu figurer dans un recueil si j’avais su en trouver d’autres : “Le rire, c’est comme les essuie-glaces, dans la pluie du malheur ça n’arrête pas la pluie mais ça permet d’avancer.”
(Google Translator: It is surely at this time that I formulated an aphorism that could have appeared in a collection if I knew how to find others: “The laughter is like the windshield wipers, in the rain of misfortune do not stop the rain but it helps to move forward.”—ed.)
 
6 January 2018, Western Mail (Cardiff, UK), “Green Scene” by Lynne Alibutt, pg. 5:
Laughter is a bit like a windscreen wiper, it won’t stop the rain but it does mean you can keep going.
     
The News-Gazette (Champaign, IL)
My Amish Home | Ribs are healed, but now my ankle’s hurt
Wed, 06/06/2018 - 7:00am | Millie Otto
(...)
In closing, laughter is like a windshield wiper; it doesn’t stop the rain, but it allows you to keep going.
 
Twitter
Jean-Pierre DEMURGER
‏@pandoraskids
Laughter is like a windshield wiper, it won’t stop the rain but it will allow you to keep going. -Anonymous #quote http://jpdemurger.mlspsites.com/breaking-news
9:14 PM - 17 Jun 2018