Do you remember the last time something struck you as really funny … and you could barely stop laughing? Does it surprise you to find out that the reasons people laugh have changed a great deal, over time? Have you ever analyzed those reasons?
This past few months, we have attended several lectures that, more or less, centered around the theme of why people laugh. Sex, religion, infidelity and its results, nonsense songs, and politics all rank high on the list. Stereotypes such as the Jewish mother can figure highly, in comedy routines.
Much of America’s sense of humor stems from early British humor. In fact, British humor has helped to craft what we find funny today. For example, I love Monty Python’s irreverent approach and find “The Lumberjack Song” to be hilarious. Likewise, Hyacinth and her buddies of the TV British comedy, “Keeping Up Appearances,” provide comic relief. Anyone who is pretentious is a good target, as are bumbling politicians who mispronounce words, or introduce some of their own made-up words, in speeches.
Slapstick comedy, like “The Three Stooges” is something that many people found funny, and Charlie Chaplin, before them. Today, people are encouraged to send in funny videotapes to a television show, and we all laugh … at the expense of someone’s accident or mishap.
Television commercials with jingles we can’t forget, or with slapstick humor, or some added and unexpected feature, can make us laugh.
One TV jingle that I really enjoyed remembering has to do with a dog product (for fleas?). One can replace words, which is exactly what the singer/presenter does, when he visits with children in school musical programs. He allows the kids to insert words that rhyme.
Here we go with a couple of examples:
“There ain’t so ticks on me, there ain’t no ticks on me, there might be ticks on some of you chicks but there ain’t no ticks on me.”
“There ain’t no bugs on me. There ain’t no bugs on me. There might be bugs on some of you thugs, but there ain’t no bugs on me.” etc.
My brother used to sing a song about the Salvation Army. I doubt that it was written by a member. He would sing it loudly, in his deep voice, and always make me smile! The lyrics go:
We’re coming, we’re coming, our brave little band
On the right side of temperance, we now take our stand
We don’t smoke tobacco because we do think
That the people who use it are likely to drink.
Away, away with Rum, by gum, with Rum, by gum, with Rum, by gum
Away, away with Rum, by gum, the Song of the Salvation Army.
Last night, we heard a recorded version of a once popular song about a Scotsman wearing a kilt. He had a little too much to drink and some passing lassies approached him as he laid, passed out. They were curious as to what he wore under the kilt. They found he was wearing nothing except that with which he was born, so mischievously, they tied a blue ribbon on what they discovered. When he awoke, he stumbled to the nearest tree to “go,” and found the ribbon. He exclaimed, “I don’t know where you’ve been, but at least you’ve won a ribbon!”
We love having our awareness expanded about all sorts of things! Humor is an interesting topic!
The only song I recognized in the collection of early “Wacky” songs played the other night was the “Too Fat Polka.” I know the song all too well. When I was dating, my boyfriend’s mother, who was very overweight herself, always played this song. She would sing along to a recording. “She’s too fat, she’s too fat, she’s too fat for me – Hey!” So, yes, for many decades, people have made fun of body size.
I remember a song about short people. Being tall, I rather liked it, but if I were short, I wouldn’t enjoy someone singing about “nasty little feet.” It’s all in the perception of the listener, I suppose. I see humor in many situations, as well as irony and wit. Someone once said that it takes intelligence to understand humor. That could be true.
There is also situational humor, based on surprise. I’ll never forget the time that a niece of mine and I were visiting the San Diego Zoo. There was a school yard that was visible from the two-tiered bus available to ride around the enormous zoo. Three little boys would wait for the bus to appear, and in unison, would turn their backs and drop their drawers, thereby “mooning” us. It was a hilarious moment!
Another outrageous scene was a guy in the car next to us on the freeway, sucking on a baby pacifier, and looking at us like we were the crazy ones!
Whatever you do, keep laughin’ and keep smilin’ – It’s the real thing, baby!
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
