Brandeeno how many meetings have you been to? If I want to hear laughter or joking around I go to a meeting! Yes I agree that sometimes the actual topic of the meeting at times can revolve around some very serious and sometimes depressing topics, but when someone brings a problem to the meetings in my area they walk away at a minimum with support and understanding but many times they also walk away with a solution to thier problem or how to find a solution.
Life is life, sober or drunk people do have problems, the difference is one makes a decision, do I get drunk over this and the problem gets worse, or do I go to a meeting, share the problem and find a solution to it by sharing the problem and listening to people who have had the same problem before and learn how they over come it.
Yes there are people with major issues that attend AA, if they continue to attend meetings, get a sponsor and work the steps with thier sponsor things get better. Better.... but not perfect!!!
Being sober does not lead to a perfect life with no worries, but it does led to a life with fewer problems and ways to deal with them rather then drinking or drugging them away.
Tell you what, next meeting you go to when they ask for a topic, why don't you bring up the topic of "Gratitude". If you do you will hear the great things that sobriety and the program bring into peoples lifes.
There are what I refer to as whiners meetings, these are meetings where everyone whines and no one presents solutions, I quit attending those, if I want to whine and beaotch I can go to a bar and get drunk doing that.