The four stories that I chose either put a smile on my face or made me laugh. I think that’s the key factor that made these stories stick out to me. I especially liked that three of them were original and still had that element of surprise. They’re great examples that prove that humor doesn’t always have to be a performance. The delivery sounded normal and conversational, and I didn’t even have to see the storyteller’s body language or facial expressions. Humor is one thing that I really value in any piece, or any story, because it always draws me in and I enjoy it. It’s like a breath of fresh air for me.
Another quality that I found compelling in these stories was that they were relatable, even though I haven’t actually experienced all of these things directly. However, one thing that I have experienced (several times) was getting into an awkward situation as a guest in someone else’s home. When I was ten, my mom and I were visiting her old friend, Lee. After my mom specifically told me not to touch anything in the house, I wandered off and fiddled with a bobble-head toy that belonged to Lee’s son. I ended up breaking the head off and I panicked, so before anyone could catch me, I laid the broken toy on the carpet to make it look like the toy fell and broke. And a few minutes later, when Lee and my mom asked me about it, I lied and said that the toy somehow fell onto the carpet and broke, even though it was nowhere near the edge of the table… So, an experience like this is pretty similar to act 13, More Lies. I understood the couple’s awkwardness and their quick impulse to lie, even when it was obvious that they weren’t being truthful.
I love George Carlin. He is my favorite comedian not just because he makes me laugh but also because he makes me think. Here are a couple of clips from him:
I also really like the SNL Celebrity Jeopardy clips:
Margaret Cho is by far my favorite comedian all time. She’s a progressive feminist who touches on her Korean heritage, her family life, her sexuality and a ton of other topics. Here’s one short skit, she owns it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CONKd323piY
I also find most everything Monty Python related absolutely hilarious. Here’s one scene from Monty Python and The Holy Grail, “The Black Knight Fight”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjEcj8KpuJw
Jimmy Kimmel’s skits involving kids also get me every time. This one was great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPgpRw9tiuM
Next week is our humor class. I look forward to Jay’s and Avi’s presentations on humor.
In addition, I have compiled some examples of college/English-related humor for us to discuss; you will find them on the WATCH page of our class blog. These things shouldn’t take more than 45 minutes to watch/look over:
How to Write Your Englilsh Paper
Things that make people who wear tweed laugh (my title for a Tumblr I find amusing)
Conan O’Brien’s 2011 Commencement Speech at Dartmouth
Before next week’s class, PLEASE POST EXAMPLES OF THINGS YOU FIND FUNNY (or post links to examples) ON OUR CLASS BLOG.
