The topic for this week’s 2 on 1 Friday blog post is from Shackman who actually suggested “You can tell how smart people are by what they laugh at. What makes you laugh?” Since, I flatter myself that I am not among the smart set, I can get away with shortening the title to just “What Makes You Laugh?” I hope that after reading my post, Shackman will realise how smart I am or not. Please do go over to his blog to see what he has to say about the topic.
I am one of those characters who can find humour in the most unexpected situations and burst into laughter. What may be serious to others often appears to be comic to me. Perhaps it is my puckish sense of humour that is responsible but, this trait has landed me in some very embarrassing situations.
Having shared that, let me address the question. The things that make me laugh are;
Comic strips in the daily newspapers. Particularly, Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Dennis the Menace, Dilbert and often, single illustration cartoons by Sunil Agarwal & Ajit Ninan. A sample of one from the last, but with a different partner.
Pompous politicians.
Dogs and cats in real life as well as in stories.
Jokes that come to me through Facebook and WhatsApp.
Old movies with Charlie Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy etc.
Here are two representative samples that combines two of my choices.
Another type of humour that can make me laugh out loud is that where an unexpected twist takes place in the conversation. Like this one.
The horrible truth, my dear Ramana, that I don’t find any of the above cartoons funny. I mean they are ok in a sort of smirky/smiley type of way, and a tired one at that. But laugh, really laugh?
The question Shackman raised is a good one. I have been sitting on this for hours since reading both your posts early this morning, racking and wringing both my brain and memory’s archives, and the fact is, dear dog in heaven … dare I say it: I do NOT know what makes me laugh. I just do [laugh]. Like, writing this comment, this minute I am laughing. Come to think of it FOS (father of son) used to remark that no one finds me more amusing than I do myself.
On the whole, neither friend nor foe like what makes me laugh. Either too simple or too dark. There it is. According to your theory I am a superior human of advanced faculties since I laugh even if it leaves everyone else stone cold faced. Good stuff, isn’t it, Ramana? I should take to the mountains with my attitude, commune with eagles and other solitary birds whilst contemplating the Stoics, meditation and vertigo whilst trying not to fall into the abyss.
Hugs, and a laugh,
U
Yes, your communing with eagles and who knows what else and having a big belly shaking laugh will be very apt.
I am not so enamored of cartoons as you though I do enjoy them. I love stand up – and gave a few samples as well as some older stuff.
And, my friend, your selection of cartoons is a dead give away to your inherent intelligence.
Like Ursula, ihave a part of me that enjoys dark humor.
My own Ursula has no sense of humour, I fear.
Beings of her ilk rarely do.
I agree that cartoons are not everyone’s cup of tea. In my case, I guess it is a hangover from my boyhood’s comics obsession. Ah, my inherent intelligence. If only others would be as discerning as you are! I find dark humour difficult to handle.
I find the older I get the more I laugh at satire.
and I never liked slapstick. but sometimes now it’s funny. maybe because I fall easily now! ???
I just seem to find human nature funny. I don’t get caught up anymore of WHY people act the way they do … I just find how they act very funny. 🙂
Satire tickles me too and I too am not overly fond of slapstick. Finding human nature funny is a gift few are endowed with and I am glad that you are one of them.
I don’t know if I laugh out loud – but I do find some human antics humorous – the kind of “what the hell did you/they do that for?” when they appear to be completely on another planet.
currently I’m bemused on the antics of the people in Unit 2 – it started when the eldest lad got a dog (neither are living there now) but there was a conversation where the Mother got the complete wrong end of the stick (saying; not throwing a stick for the puppy) … turned out later, her husband who is not in NZ, said she should apologise to me. She said at the time “I didn’t know how to do that…”
oops, my front door is right next to yours, you have to pass by it to get into yours…”simple, you knock on my door, and apologise”
although on saying that, about the time of the “wrong” they started going in/out of their back door, during the day…once I pulled my curtains and got closed up for the night, front door! To me that was hilarious…
since I got back, it’s gone pear shaped again…when Mother goes to work on the w/ends, she runs up the driveway with her head angled towards the neighhours fence…hilarious really.
the only communication was the day, I called out as she was leaving for w/end work – through my laundry window! She jumped like a scared rat and said something like “must talk to you, but I’m in a hurry…” that was 3 wks ago! The young son sent me an email about his lawnmower…when he could’ve knocked on my door
that’s hilarious – laughing out loud kind of thing…when of course, they have gone their respective ways…
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Welcome to the club Catherine. I find at least one couple among the many neighbours that I am blessed with funny beyond description. While others get annoyed with them, I tend to see how funny they are and that disturbs them more from what feed back I get from the other neighbours!
All sorts of things make me laugh. Like you, what others find deadly serious I often find amusing and frequently have to wipe a smile off my face so as not to cause offence. As you know, I find beards and moustaches very funny. Any kind of pompousness makes me laugh. Unexpected mishaps at funerals make me laugh. Huge spills and sheddings from lorries make me laugh. Most things have their funny side unless you’re totally po-faced.
You will find me very funny if and when we meet as I wear both a moustache and a beard! While I sincerely hope that I am not pompous, I can still be very funny.