Even Though I Fell Asleep 4 Times….
Why did no one find Sarah’s story funny?! I thought it was hilarious. The little girl singing was priceless. It was the first story that I was actually fully conscious for next to Lisa’s. Sarah used real evidence explaining why her daughter couldn’t understand her grandmother’s celebration of Christmas and then she added a twist of humor to it. I can see how humor is a dangerous route to take in radio and writing in general because what might be funny to one person might not be funny to another. Her segment worked for me, it was cute a hilarious and I would listen to it again.
Lisa’s story on the other hand worked because it was just so left field. From the onset I was worried for her. Death is never something I personally consider funny and I think most people can agree with me on that. What I liked most about her segment was that it built up to the one really funny story she told in the end. At first we get technical stuff, borderline boring conversations but it starts picking up when she tells us about the priest in the closet and finally with the Ukrainian funeral. She surprised me by shedding light on the possibility of humor in death. It looks awkward and almost taboo to say something like this but it is what Lisa accomplished and she deserves kudos for that.
4 responses so far
I agree that humor makes for a great story. I guess cuteness works too in the same way that cuteness appeals to viewers on YouTube with videos involving babies and cats. But I especially like your point on the twist of Lisa’s story. The surprise and final humor brought the story together to something that I enjoyed listening to.
I also liked Lisa’s story- not necessarily because of the actual topic but because I was able to relate to the characters in her story. Lisa mentioned that the couple at the funeral couldn’t control their laughter and started chuckling uncontrollably at the funeral. I immediately was able to relate to that feeling of not being able to hold in your laughter. When something funny happens, I laugh. If it’s inappropriate to laugh at a certain situation, I have to practice a huge amount of self-control not to start laughing. So I was definitely able to to relate to that couple.
That always happens to me- i get hit by these uncontrollable waves of laughter at the most inappropriate times. Like in the middle of a lecture. Or when an old lady falls down. Or during a funeral.
I agree that thats wht makes the story so funny, the fact that i completely relate to the couple at the funeral. Sometimes it really just blurbs out and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Not even die.
I agree that Lisa’s segment was very interesting. She tackled an interesting and difficult topic and managed to pull it off quite nicely by balancing between emotional and humorous stories. She gives funerals and death the respect they deserve but also shows us how there is a funny side to everything. There are times in her broadcast where you are drawn into the story and almost feel sadness but also times when you want to laugh out loud. Though it builds slowly at first, she does a great job of ending her story.