Humor can be a subjective thing. Some people enjoy blatant slapstick stuff like slipping on a banana peel, but I have never really warmed up to that kind of comedy. I prefer a more subtle and cerebral approach. Many times over the years I have imagined scenarios that I think would be funny. Usually when I share these ideas with coworkers they respond with a hesitant courtesy laugh or a nervous look. I know my humor is not the typical knock knock joke type of humor and as a result many people don't appreciate it. Here are three examples.
I love to play basketball and I think it would be funny if on a particular day if I was playing well and made a game winning shot if I took the ball and hurled it at the spectators and yelled "Are you not entertained?" and walked off in disgust like the scene in Gladiator.
I'd like to write a screen play about a guy who takes frequent bathroom breaks at work. For years his co-workers were under the assumption that he had irritable bowel syndrome or some kind of digestive disorder so they are cool with the excessive breaks he takes throughout the day. Once day a co-worker is in the bathroom and the toilet won't flush so he lifts off the tank lid to see if the chain broke. He discovers zip lock plastic bags full of treats and a game boy. Just as he pieces things together he turns around and sees his co-worker standing behind him as the violin music from Psycho starts.
I work in the insurance industry and often do replacement cost estimators for homes. When insuring a home I ask clients questions about sqaure footage, construction materials, type of flooring, etc. I think it would be funny to also ask if the applicant has a DVD collection and when they say yes I would ask in an official voice if they have Harry and the Hendersons on DVD. I would then proceed to ask if they owned Footloose or any other John Lithgow movies. I would continue this process until they asked me what that had to do with anything. Unfortunately, from past experience,there are some clients who I could ask movie questions to for half an hour before they would get suspicious.
I guess you'd have to be there. Like beauty, humor is also in the eye of the beholder.
8 comments:
I definitely think these are all funny.
They are all funny, but #1 is awesome! I'd pay to see that. If only you played in the NBA and could do that in Kobe's face.
I found all those situations hilarious! You shouldn't be an insurance man, you should be in stand up comedy, or perhaps write a really popular blog someday.
For me, subtlety is good. So is over-the-top hyperbolic irrationally angry humor, as long as it is cerebral.
The basketball one could be a bit risky - you'd have to make sure you didn't actidentally peg somebody in the head. The bathroom one is my fav!
I think you should do the one mentioned in #1 tomorrow at ball. i would personally role. Though I don't usually see too many spectators there at 6am
So funny!!! Chaka, in all your subtlety, you never fail to crack me up.
Love the John Lithgow one...I know I would say something after the first question regarding a video collection...
mainly because I ask many, many questions...Like...when do you come up with all these..? and do you think of them before you go to sleep and have to write them down on pieces of scrap paper...?..
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