Friday, January 30, 2009

Archive: Humor Through Amy's Eyes

December 13, 2006

Humor through Amy's eyes

So, I'm pretty sure I was funny once. I just got a message from a long-lost friend from music camp who reminded me that I might have been funny. Or emotionally-damaging. I'm not sure which. I do remember laughing uncontrollably in those high school music camp days. Maybe being around funny people brings out my funnier side. Which brings me to my recent conversation with Paul.

I'm pretty sure Paul is one of the funniest people I know. I mean, he is genuinely good at being funny. Not cheesy funny. Not mean funny. Not smart-aleck funny....and no, I have no idea how to properly spell smart-aleck (alec? alek?). So, we were in the car a few days ago, and I brought up something funny he said in his sermon on Sunday. I asked him how he doesn't just laugh at himself when he does that in his sermons, because I about got an embarrassing case of the giggles. He said that funny people get satisfaction out of making people laugh, but they just know they are funny so there is no need to laugh at themselves. I said, "I don't know. I'm pretty funny, and I make myself laugh all the time." This is something that makes Paul crack up....when I do or say something funny and then crack up at myself. His response was that I am not a naturally funny person, just a person who does funny things.

Then we began this whole talk on the different kinds of humor, and why some things are funny to some people and not to others. For instance, I hate physical comedy. It doesn't even crack a smile to me. According to Paul, however, physical comedy, though not usually funny, can be funny if it is something new, like a guy getting hit in the, um, you know, with a wrench, a la the move Dodgeball. I thought Dodgeball was middle school humor at best. And, I hate cheesy humor. Like when people laugh at cheesy, email forward-type jokes. Not funny to me. But, I LOVE smart-aleck humor. I love when you can trade that kind of humor back and forth. And most people's dads are funny, because they love joking around with a good ol' smart-aleck.

I've also found people who are just downright serious. When you try to be funny around them, you never know if they are taking you the right way. And they just make me fidget from all of the uncomfortable-ness.

So, I don't know what you find funny, and maybe it would be a good study of the human brain. But funny is good stuff. And if you laugh at yourself, I think you just appreciate how funny you really are. And that is okay.

3 comments:

nickmal said...

All I know is it's a really good day when I get to laugh so hard I almost cry ... I really do just praise God for those hillarious moments. Life's too serious most of the time. You are a blessed woman to have a comedian/pastor for your husband.

Stacey said...

My husband is very funny too, in a dry, unexpected sort of way. He's very clever when it comes to humor.

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who laughs at herself! I think my jokes are pretty funny and deserve to be followed by a nice, loud belly-laugh. :)

Anonymous said...

erin is naturally funny, like paul, i however am more like you... apparently not naturally funny, but say or do funny things from time to time.... oh well, at least i get a good laugh out of people every once in awhile....