Monday, October 7, 2013

Why yes that's a Banana in my pocket…


Ah, so many things to write about, so little time. I figured I'd focus on something a little less serious. Anyone who knows me can tell I'm a bit of a goof. Anyone who really knows me can tell I'm a major goof. Only those really really close to me can tell I'm bat-shit crazy…

Humor is one of the tools I use to get through life. If you can laugh at any situation, then you truly have nothing to fear (quick, someone Google that… if it's not a quote, it is now… copyright 2013). This is not to say I completely blow off everything as a joke. I know when to be serious. But if you look at it, a lot of things we consider serious, really aren't as bad as you think.

I don't remember when I began my affair with the lighter side of life. I know my father was definitely a prime factor.  Most questions I asked were met with a straight faced joke of a response (followed by the true answer… if you waited long enough). I wish I could remember some of them, but I'm sure I've passed them on to my children (who are far smarter than I was at their age… they don't believe anything I say…). I also remember stealing a tape of his which featured an impressionist that mimicked quite a bit of sounds, much like that guy on the Police Academy movies. I wish I could remember that too, but apparently whatever portion of the brain contains humor appreciation also holds long term memory, and there's only so much room.

My dad introduced me to the wonders of the great Saturday Night Live alumni of Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Jim Belushi, among others. I would watch You Can't do that on Television and Out of Control in the early days of Nickelodeon. I slowly branched out more and more standup and discovered among others, the comedy gods, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Steve Martin. I could go on and on, but I'm nearly 40, so it could take a while…

Anyway, back to the subject; I've used humor most of my life to get me through the rough patches and enhance the good times. I throw quips around to cheer people up when they're down and I launch zingers to get a quiet conversation going. I use humor to diffuse situations. It's hard to insult a guy who's already telling jokes about his own mother.

Much like music, I appreciate all types of humor and find different types have their own place in life. Slapstick/idiotic humor (think Three Stooges, Dumb and Dumber) are perfect for winding down after a long day. Just when you thought that idiot in the office who won't shut up in the meeting that is already running an hour late, here comes Jim Carrey lighting a fart and mistaking Samsonite as the owner of a breifcase ("Man, I was WAY off!"). This reminds me that as dumb as people seem, there are far worse. (Or even better, they may be the ones who are worse.)

Puns and wordplay are my favorite. Lords of this are Demetri Martin, Mitch Hedberg and George Carlin. Not only are they appealing because I happen to be a writer, but they also let everyone know that most of those words people get so upset about are just that… words. 

Intelligent humor (Steve Martin, Tina Fey). Well, if I had to explain it, it just wouldn't be funny anymore, would it?

Sarcasm is just plain stupid… jeeze!

Dark Humor (Monty Python, Danny Devito movies) is definitely an acquired taste. Most of it involves sensitive subjects like death and suffering. But really think about it. If anything needed brightening up, it's death and suffering. We all bite the big one. May as well make people remember you with a smile .

Edgy humor (Daniel Tosh, Lewis Black) is dark humor's ugly cousin. True they hit on some truly offensive subjects, but again, if we can laugh at the crappy things in life, it somehow makes it less crappy.

Improvisational humor (Robin Williams, Whose Line is it anyway cast) just proves anything can be funny in the right hands.

Observational humor (Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen Degeneres) and Political humor (Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert) can show us just how the people who pretend to know better, really don't.



This post has devolved into a breakdown of the various types of humor, but you know what? That's cool. Humor follows no boundaries. You never know what's funny until you try it and see who laughs. Next time your three-year old shows up with mommy's makeup on her face, you light the thanksgiving turkey on fire, or you fall on your ass trying to impress a girl, try to see the humor in the situation. It's a hell of a lot better than getting upset, and you'll get over it that much faster. Who knows? Your misadventure today may brighten someone else's tomorrow.
Always look on the bright side of life!

No comments:

Post a Comment