A few years ago, my daughter had a friend over, and I eventually became aware that she was watching me rather intently. Since I wasn't doing anything particularly interesting, I was curious about what had prompted her attention. So I said to her, as I usually do, "Y-e-s-s-s-s?" You know, the long, drawn out yes that is a question meaning, what do you want/need/require WHAT IS THE DEAL? I was rather surprised when she answered, "I am waiting for you to say something funny!" Well, since I am not funny on demand, like a comic pay-per-view or Robin Williams, I was rather taken aback. I asked her what on earth brought that on. Her response? "Because you are really funny."
Well. Who knew?
Humor is a funny thing. No, seriously. It can be very difficult to define what is humor, although, truth be told, most human beings find the same things funny. Generally, we laugh at other people's misfortunes, adults more often than children, in part because it's disconcerting to see adults doing something silly, and in part because we either can relate, having been there ourselves, or we are glad it isn't us.
There are different types of humor, of course. There is the dry, sarcastic wit that seems to be more the realm of the cynical intellectual. Apparently everyone in my household fits this description. Or so we have all been told at one time or another.
There is also slapstick humor, defined by the physical acts that make us all cringe and laugh at the same time - falling off a curb, tripping, hitting a funny bone - you know it hurts, and you don't wish them an injury, but it's funny to see their reaction none-the-less. Buster Keaton was a master at it, and if you have never seen his work, you really should, because he is FUNNY.
There is intentional humor, which is when someone tells you a joke, and you are supposed to laugh. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't, but the intent is to produce humor of some kind. I have noticed children frequently pursue this occupation, I think because they are using humor to try and engage us when they can't get our attention any other way. Professional comedians, generally very large children, do the same, but they get paid a lot of money for it, which makes it better. I'll bet they laugh all the way to the bank. Where they have the last laugh. But I digress....
There is the off-the-cuff, sideways glance at life type of humor, where a person just has a gift for seeing the humor in a situation and sharing it with those around them. I think, quite often, off-the-cuff humor is a coping mechanism, a way to deal with a life which has handed out lemons, and is employed by a person who likes lemonade. A lot.
And there are the storytellers - the people who can frame life experiences and share them in a way that makes us laugh. I love storytellers, and I so envy them their ability to make any incident funny. I have a neighbor who has a real gift for storytelling, and he is a favorite party guest, at least in part because when he is there, you know people will laugh and have a good time. Bob Newhart is a very gifted storyteller comedian. If you have never seen his routines, they are quietly hysterical. Bill Cosby is another one. They find the humor in everyday situations, and by retelling, they make you see the humor, too. Try it. You'll like it.
I have read about the childhoods of various comedians, and it seems they all have a gift for humor in common from a very young age, although they wield it differently. Some of them are the class clown, which is not, for the uninitiated, a compliment. While from the outside, it means the other children have an appreciation for your antics, and encourage you to continue, when applied to one's own self, it generally means you have been dreadfully off task and every adult in your life is mad at you. Not that I would know. I'll bet Jim Carrey was a class clown. Just because it worked out for him does not mean it will work out for you, however. Just in case you were thinking of giving up the day job.
Some comedians had a rough upbringing, and have turned to humor to cope with the problems they have faced. Their humor can be course or rough or even mean spirited, and is the kind of humor that is often rewarded by the entertainment crowd with large amounts of cash. Shock humor. How many four letter words can you say in three minutes? Sometimes I think they are paid to go away. Andrew Dice Clay, anyone?
Some comedians seem to be funny all the time. Robin Williams is the comic gift that never stops giving. It seems he is incapable of not saying the funny thing, not doing the funny thing. He can take a situation and see the humor in it, or he can just make a joke. He understands what makes us laugh in physical comedy, and he's not stupid, either. He is the complete comedic package, and is the comedian I probably most admire, not because he is so consistently funny, but because he clearly sees the humor in everyday life, enjoys making people laugh, and will do whatever it takes to achieve that.
I don't know whether most people think they are funny or not. I don't even know whether most comedians find themselves funny. I recall the wife of some comedian was interviewed awhile ago, I can't remember who, and she was asked if he is as funny at home as he is in public. One of those really original questions reporters like to ask. Anyway, she said something along the lines of comedy was his job, and at home, he takes out the garbage like everyone else. And there is just not that much humor in taking out the garbage.
But back to the regular people. Like I mentioned, I have no idea if most people think they are funny or not. Well, I am here to tell you, surprisingly few people that I know are funny, at least on purpose. Even more surprisingly to me, they don't seem to care that they aren't funny. Being funny doesn't even seem to be on their radar. I don't get it. While I am constantly giggling about this or that, I have noticed that most people seem to take life pretty seriously. I can also tell you that on those personality profile tests you are forced to take when engaged in Serious Employment, I am usually the 1% fringe member of the population who doesn't know there is a box, while most people are stepping on each other's heads trying to get into that box.... So perhaps that says more about me than it does about them. Hm.
I guess there are open mic occasions at comedy clubs where people are allowed to go and perform a routine for the enjoyment or derision of the assembled audience, and a lot of people do it, so I guess there are some people who think they are funny. I cannot imagine the pressure, in that situation, because everyone in the room is waiting for, hoping for, expecting you to fail. I couldn't be funny with everyone waiting for me to succeed, much less with everyone waiting for me to fail. But in my heart of hearts, if I could be anything I wanted to be, and know that I would be successful, I would be a comedian. I cannot imagine a better way to spend your life - bringing humor and laughter into people's lives. Now you know my deepest, darkest secret, and there is nothing left to reveal, so I guess I'm done writing.
Just kidding.
But anyway, getting to the point of this little post, I am not funny on demand, although I envy those that are. I do enjoy making people laugh, but I am not conceited enough even to think I am genuinely a funny person. So sometimes in this blog, I will write something funny, because I am in the mood, and I see something funny in a situation, and I want to share the humor. But some days, I am just not in humorous mood, and what I write won't be funny. And some subjects just don't lend themselves to humor, I suppose, although I think if you really, really try, you can pretty much find humor in everything.
So, while I do hope you find humor in my life and my writing, I hope you won't think that if you tune in, you are guaranteed a laugh. I appreciate that a few people think I am a funny person, but I will have to keep my day job. Well, I would if I had one....
