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I was a pirate, now I'm a nurse. That's funny.
Recently a friend of mine and I were discussing movies, and attending the cinema, and I talked about how I didn't like to go, because people were impolite (talking, texting, rampant kids, etc) and I didn't enjoy the movie I was trying to watch. And she made the point that groups of people watching a comedy (the specific film in question was a funny movie, the ending especially so) enjoyed it more. The quote was "Comedy is better shared."
This inspired my usual "Why am I not like other people?" mastication. I know, from my theater experience, that a half empty house meant we'd be working twice as hard for half the response, and the basic theory was not in question. So I tried to go back and remember my responses to things I'd watched alone and with other people.
There was the disastrous "Austin Powers:International Man of Mystery" debacle, where I ended up watching it twice in one weekend with groups of people trying to share the comedy with me, because I was too timid to excuse myself and flee into the night. But I don't think that would have been any less funny watching it on my own. (I just would have turned it off sooner.)
Maybe I was just a misanthrope. God knows there's evidence for that. But would that excuse me from basic human psychology? I didn't think so.
Many times I have been reading and come across a particularly witty passage and laughed until the housemate demanded I share with her, but that came over poorly often enough that she's stopped doing that. A large portion of this reaction can be blamed on lack of context, I think.
When I first saw "Wazzup:Superfriends" I shared it with everybody who would hold still long enough. I think that increased my enjoyment of it. But I watched it 84 times that day on my own, so it's hard to tell for certain.
I suspect I'm just like all the other monkeys at the base. I'm just a snob.
And for those of you who read this far, I will say that the fucking cat just walked in my yogurt. I share this in the hopes that it will become comedy.
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Regarding humour, it's known to be a fickle beast. Some people just don't "get" mainstream humour (Lord knows there are any number of high-grossing 'comedies' out there that I think the world could do without). Personal preferences account for a lot more of any given individual's appreciation than with, say, drama.
That said, enjoying a comedy with others, as with any social interaction, involves a certain level of risk - no one wants to be the sole person laughing. This is why large crowds are so much easier to play than smaller ones - the larger the crowd, the more people you likely have laughing at any given moment, and the more comfortable people feel laughing along. Comedians will often have plants in the audience hired to laugh at their jokes for exactly that reason.
Out of curiousity, did you ever take that humour test I keep linking? I know internet tests are 99.9% pap, but this one's turned out to be remarkably accurate for me and several of my friends. It might be worth seeing if you agree with the results you get. (And if it just tells you that you have no sense of humour whatsoever, well, at least you'll know. :)
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As far as the cats, I will leave it to my housemate to debate that. It may just be that they're Turks.
(Taking the test. My usual "Where is none of the above?" is rearing its head.)
Your result for The 3 Variable Funny Test ...the Wit
(57% dark, 23% spontaneous, 21% vulgar)
your humor style: CLEAN | COMPLEX | DARK
You like things edgy, subtle, and smart. I guess that means you're probably an intellectual, but don't take that to mean pretentious. You realize 'dumb' can be witty--after all isn't that the Simpsons' philosophy?--but rudeness for its own sake, 'gross-out' humor and most other things found in a fraternity leave you totally flat.
I guess you just have a more cerebral approach than most. You have the perfect mindset for a joke writer or staff writer.
Your sense of humor takes the most thought to appreciate, but it's also the best, in my opinion.
You probably loved the Office. Maybe I need to watch this again. It's another "I don't get it."
PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Jon Stewart - Woody Allen - Ricky Gervais
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Maybe I should rent the Hangover, then. And invite a lot of friends to watch it.
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I like your over-analytical mind. It makes for chewy conversations that still have me working them over days later.
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On the other hand, they also made me watch The Big Lebowski on the grounds that it was funny, and it wasn't.
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Which cat? Because I can see Toast being utterly aghast that there was Stuff! On His Feet! But Arnold... I can see Arnold deciding that the yogurt on his feet was his Best Friend and then proceeding to talk to it for the next three hours.
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You seem very concerned with fitting in with the crowd lately. Why? (Read that with a curious, not belligerant tone.) Is it really that necessary to agree with the masses at large, or your posse in particular? Could you embrace being an outlier and see where it takes you?
Our tastes change over time, and maybe yours are migrating right now. It doesn't mean we love you less or will reject you, it means you bring a different perspective to the party. Personally, I think that's far more interesting and worthy of attention than a head-nodding lemming.
BTW, Arnold *is* retarded. Toast will act that way if it furthers his purpose.
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If everybody around me (people I've chosen to surround myself with for good reason) is enamoured of something and I can't work up the energy to be indifferent about it, is that because I'm putting forth effort not to like it? It is because it just doesn't connect with me? (And if it's the latter, I'm curious why I don't connect and these people I've self selected for compatibility do.)
I think I've embraced being an outlier for most of my life. It was a badge of honor. It's probably why I knew enough about Classical music to get hired at Tower. And I have no problem with that, unless I'm missing out on things that I'd really enjoy because I'm busy shunning them (like Duran Duran).
I've lost control of this ramble, but I think I've covered most of the points I wanted to. There's nothing inherently wrong with not fitting in. I kind of like it, in fact. But it's one of the many parts of my life that's under investigation right now, because I'm thinking there should be a way for me to be happier.
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My best friend has Mondays off, and that's our favorite time to go. There's very few people, and no kids as long as school is running.
Cat Flavored Yogurt. Many people love cats, but I doubt the product would fly off the shelves.
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But don't even get me started on comedy and the nature of it or I'll be here for at least nine days. The psychology of humour is something I'd love to study though - and I consider myself a failed comedian because I don't make people laugh. Make of THAT what you will. ;)
(Which cat? I know y'all have two. :P )
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