Make 'Em Laugh

For me, funny and personal feelings have nothing to do with each other. I believe this is the reason why I can laugh at so many things that others have a hard time laughing at.

I'm the Queen of Compartmentalization, there's no doubt about that. My file cabinets are sound proof, so I have the ability to acknowledge "funny" without having the joke permeate the file cabinet that contains information that might be offended by said joke.

For me, funny is black or white. Either something is funny to you or it isn't. But for lots of people, when they hear an edgy, inappropriate joke their feelings rise to the surface immediately, and that's all they can focus on. I can hear a joke and evaluate it's funniness, even if the topic is one that makes me cringe inside.

Now, you can't just spout off inappropriate things and be funny. To be funny to me, you have to be incredibly sharp and have impeccable comedic timing and delivery. But the content can be anything. You can joke about death, rape, homosexuality, race, religion, spousal abuse, incest, white middle income soccer moms with speech impediments, and be funny. You can joke about all of those things and NOT be funny.

Even though I have been a victim of childhood sexual abuse, I can still laugh at a joke about it, if done properly. I can laugh at jokes about my religion, if the jokes are funny. When I laugh at a joke, it doesn't mean I don't care about that topic, or that I agree with the comedian or the person speaking. I can think something is funny, and disagree with it. I can think someone said something funny and still hate that person. Laughter isn't synonymous with anything. Laughter simply means you thought something was funny.

Funny just IS, to you. Yes, everyone has their own personal taste when it comes to funny. But I believe that most people's "funny taste" is extremely tainted by their emotions. I believe there are plenty of times that people are afraid to laugh at something, for fear of looking like they are callous or in agreeance.

It's like that old saying, "Pretty is as pretty does". Well no, pretty is pretty. I can acknowledge that a bitchy girl is pretty. But I can also acknowledge that she is a bitch. The twain cannot meet in my mind.

So just go ahead and laugh...you know you want to.