What's so funny?
I've noticed lately that everyone seems to always ask that question. It is understandable given that people search out any instant of happiness that the world has to offer. It's like a drug we will always opt to take no matter how laced down it is. No one ever asks: "What's so sad?" or "What were you saying about genocide?" Ok, maybe some people do but that is rare and usually because they have some profound theory or statement to add.
But any time laughter is utter everyone pesters you to find out what is so funny. In fact, if not immediately told people tend to act like a cokehead who hasn't had a hit in several days. The curiosity consumes them; they have to know what was so funny. But the thing most things that are funny only exist within the initial moment. Sure if it is a joke it can be retold. But most humor in life seems to come from our observations of it. Things that can never be recreated are what send tickles of laughter from our belly to our mouth.
We all want to be entertained. Never able to not be a part of the fun if it is right in front of our face. Jealousy grabs hold never yielding its grasp. Curiosity must be satiated. So maybe there is this primal need to be happy. To experience any and all pleasure the world has to offer still manages to not be enough. Laughter that fills the halls in which we are not apart of creates a hollowing and haunting feeling that some how life and happiness is within reach yet escaping us.
Or maybe it is merely the biggest fear of all that causes this instinctual question: we are afraid that people are laughing at us. Why did they stop laughing when I came in the room? Because humor is power, to be made fun of belittles thus paints people as weak. To laugh with and not be laughed at. So we're not in search of happiness but rather seek to avoid humiliation. Ah, humans we're all such traumatized children.
I realized the other day that everyone is funny to someone. We all merely have to find the right audience. In my case I find that I am my own best audience, which is why the funniest things I say are to the other voices in my head. Yes, I am one of those people who will be walking down the street and randomly burst out in laughter. And just like any other audience and comic relationship sometimes my jokes bomb and sometimes I kill; thus the burst of seemingly random laughter, it means that night I am having a great show.
Right now there is a rather comical play being performed right before me. Three young brokers enter from stage left, or sorry I mean they are trying to upstage my one-woman show. The scene starts with one broker trying to get another broker to hook him up with one of his clients. Nice. A slight chuckle comes from behind a large desk as the receptionist feverishly types while trying to hide her amusement. Hiding is not her strong suit. They catch on to the giggle but do they know that I'm laughing at them and not with them, or can the male ego not distinguish laughter in some kind of self-defense mechanism kind of way?
The process of a giggle through the male ego:
Giggle goes in one ear+ assumption that female thinks he is funny= every woman in the world wants me.
Poor fool, but I understand; everyone needs to protect themselves. What I don't understand is the need for it to be used as fuel to boost the ego. Who cares? Everyone is funny to someone. Sometimes we are the punch line and that is ok. What is so funny? You are but so are the voices in my head.
But any time laughter is utter everyone pesters you to find out what is so funny. In fact, if not immediately told people tend to act like a cokehead who hasn't had a hit in several days. The curiosity consumes them; they have to know what was so funny. But the thing most things that are funny only exist within the initial moment. Sure if it is a joke it can be retold. But most humor in life seems to come from our observations of it. Things that can never be recreated are what send tickles of laughter from our belly to our mouth.
We all want to be entertained. Never able to not be a part of the fun if it is right in front of our face. Jealousy grabs hold never yielding its grasp. Curiosity must be satiated. So maybe there is this primal need to be happy. To experience any and all pleasure the world has to offer still manages to not be enough. Laughter that fills the halls in which we are not apart of creates a hollowing and haunting feeling that some how life and happiness is within reach yet escaping us.
Or maybe it is merely the biggest fear of all that causes this instinctual question: we are afraid that people are laughing at us. Why did they stop laughing when I came in the room? Because humor is power, to be made fun of belittles thus paints people as weak. To laugh with and not be laughed at. So we're not in search of happiness but rather seek to avoid humiliation. Ah, humans we're all such traumatized children.
I realized the other day that everyone is funny to someone. We all merely have to find the right audience. In my case I find that I am my own best audience, which is why the funniest things I say are to the other voices in my head. Yes, I am one of those people who will be walking down the street and randomly burst out in laughter. And just like any other audience and comic relationship sometimes my jokes bomb and sometimes I kill; thus the burst of seemingly random laughter, it means that night I am having a great show.
Right now there is a rather comical play being performed right before me. Three young brokers enter from stage left, or sorry I mean they are trying to upstage my one-woman show. The scene starts with one broker trying to get another broker to hook him up with one of his clients. Nice. A slight chuckle comes from behind a large desk as the receptionist feverishly types while trying to hide her amusement. Hiding is not her strong suit. They catch on to the giggle but do they know that I'm laughing at them and not with them, or can the male ego not distinguish laughter in some kind of self-defense mechanism kind of way?
The process of a giggle through the male ego:
Giggle goes in one ear+ assumption that female thinks he is funny= every woman in the world wants me.
Poor fool, but I understand; everyone needs to protect themselves. What I don't understand is the need for it to be used as fuel to boost the ego. Who cares? Everyone is funny to someone. Sometimes we are the punch line and that is ok. What is so funny? You are but so are the voices in my head.
posted by Whit at 2:13 PM
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