Oh You Funny, Huh?

I was thinking last night, while trying to fall asleep to the sound of someone doing middle-of-the-road Cosby and De Niro impersonations… What is comedy?

Pretty existential for 10pm right?

Sidenote: Don’t judge me for going to bed at 10pm.  I am wholeheartedly satisfied with my sleep-life and would gladly defend my 9 hours to the death.  Or until my bedtime.

So, again, what is comedy?

I admitted to J-Man pretty early on in our courtship that I don’t find many things funny.  He thought that meant I was a bit of a comedy snob like he is (no offense, dearest) so I don’t enjoy pandering, patronizing, humor for the masses. Or something along those lines.  But I went on to say no, I’m not above it, I just don’t really like it as a genre.  It doesn’t make me laugh.  I like real, funny, stuff.

Before he became 100% certain he was falling for a crazy lady he asked me, “well, what do you think IS funny?  What is this ‘real, funny, stuff’?”

And this is where I almost lost him.  I hope I don’t lose you too…

I think it’s funny when people fall.

Truth. There – I said it.  That to me is one of the funniest acts on earth. That look of desperation as people slip and slide and have their legs fly up a bit.  It’s universally funny, and I’m not prejudiced in my response.  I laugh when I fall.  I laugh when J-Man falls.  I laugh when kids fall that are trying to lick their lollipop and turn to their mom while crying to say “I fell on my head!” It’s funny.  Strike that, it’s Hi-larious.  Sometimes I laugh until I cry.

Now, I’m not a bad person.  I always check to be sure the person is ok.  If I know them, or if they’re so close it would make me a jerk not to.  And then I chuckle until I have a stitch in my side.

So if that, to me, is comedy, what is this mess on TV?  How can you recreate such an unanticipated, sharp rejection of standard movement followed by a lack of balance and sheer confusion in just a one-liner?  You need a full story for it.  A crafted narrative with an unpredictable turn and best-case-scenario – another level beyond the first joke where you’re like “I thought it was funny but now this is so ridiculous I can’t help but let out a loud unsexy HA!”

There are experts at this, and when I find them, I lovelovelove them. 

In the meantime, J-Man and I will keep making our way through the 240 Netflix episodes of Comedy Central Presents…  we’ll stay awake and laugh and quote the really funny ones, and wait for the mediocre ones to gently lull us to sleep.