Yucking it Up

I like to laugh. More importantly, I like to make other people laugh. If I can break up a crowd at work or get an "LOL" back via email or text, my day is complete. I'm not sure why I need this recognition of my ability to garner smiles, I'll leave that to my counselor. But I do like to leave 'em laughing.

 

In the category of "humor appreciation," I know I'm not alone. One of the top requirements for single humans looking for a mate is almost always, "needs to have a good sense of humor." The only tricky part is "good." It essentially means "laughs at the same stuff I do." Because, of course, there are so many different flavors of humor, and they are all subjective. Which is how both Jerry Lewis and Lewis Black can thrive in the world of comedy.

For example, we have schadenfreude, German for "wow, did you see that idiot break his neck trying to skateboard down a flight of stairs? Wasn't that hilarious?" YouTube is rife with examples of schadenfreude. When caught in the act of unintentionally doing a triple axel/body slam in an icy parking lot, the best way to save face is to rise (assuming you can) and take an Olympic bow. If you have one handy, hold up a scorecard with "9.5" written on it. Then, when people laugh, you can believe they are enjoying your rapier wit, not that spectacular exhibition of your clumsiness. 


Along the same lines, but maybe not exactly the same thing, is slapstick, another form of humor that is very close to schadenfreude. But slapstick is more contrived. It's supposed to be funny. Slapstick has been around as long as there has been theater. Old Keystone Kops movies were the best examples. Today, I think the closest examples are what I classify as "young guy" comedies. The ones about hangovers and saving buddies from getting married, etc. I suppose walking into stationary objects, farting at the wrong time, inappropriate scratching, etc. could be construed as slapstick. Maybe.

Dry humor is my personal favorite. A knowing look, a raised eyebrow, a rolling of the eyes. That knowing look the person shares with you that says, "I can see YOU get it." It's like a private club for smart people. It leaves the Wal-Mart crowd in the dust. Yes, I know this is elitist of me, but I just don't give a damn. I like subtle plays on words. The way Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert (or maybe their writers) twist a phrase to make it hilarious. Let someone throw a barb at me. I'll throw it back. (Of course, it may take me just a moment to think of something, but when I do, it will be a zinger.)

Some black humor is great. But this walks a razor's edge. I thought Pulp Fiction was a riot. I loved Life of Brian. But I can't warm up to the post-tragedy jokes.Or the concentration camp jokes. It seems like whenever something bad happens, someone is there to parody it. I just don't think that's funny. 

Reading back through this, I realize that, while comedy is entertaining, trying to analyze it is not. I apologize. As for myself, I'm going to go seek a bit a laughter right here at home. At the top of my own list of requirements for a mate was a good sense of humor. I have been amply blessed that way. My husband of 25 years is a very funny human being. I keep saying I'm going to start writing down his best lines. The only trouble is, most of his humor isn't ready for prime time. It's way too personal. I mean, who knew that "Schrimpf" (my maiden name) rhymed with "nymph"? And that's just about as close as I'm going to get to revealing the nature of his humor!