What makes something funny? I wish I knew, because then I could make sure that every strip I draw is HI-larious. As it is, I’m aiming for mostly amusing…for youngsters. If anybody over the age of 12 finds my strips consistently funny, that’s just gravy. But what’s funny for one person might be incredibly lame for somebody else.
Punchline or delivery? Is what the comedian saying really that funny or is it in the presentation? Jerry Seinfeld’s whole schtick is that he takes everyday observations and tells them in a funny way.
I heard or read something the other day. I seem to recall it was Fab who said it to me, but I’m not sure. Jim Henson played a big role in our formative years, isn’t it just normal then, that we find the Muppets funny? In other words, are we predisposed to finding certain things funny or do we learn what we think is funny? I think it’s a combination of the two because if for example. we all grew up watching Sesame Street, why wouldn’t you find Cookie Monster as funny as I do?
I think it’s also safe to say that your state of mind has an effect on what you find funny. How many times have you found something funnier when you were tired? Things you normally find funny aren’t always as funny when you’re angry, are they?
I like puns and wordplay, the lamer the better. I don’t necessarily find them laugh out loud funny, but they amuse me. For YEARS whenever anybody would say to me, “I’m hungry” or “I’m tired,” I would respond with, “Hi, I’m James, pleased to meet you.” I’ve laid off actually SAYING it in recent years, but it’s still the first thing I think of when I hear somebody say it.
I also love a good non sequitur or goofy tall tales (not tall tales about Goofy). Anybody can spout out gibberish, but to compose a narrative out of your gibberish is an art!
On the other hand, I’m not a big fan of bodily function humour. I can’t say that I NEVER laugh at them, but I find it very lazy humour. I hope to never resort to using a fart joke in Animus Funnies (unless of course, the setup is just to HI-larious to pass up).
I don’t find shows like 30 Rock or The Office all that funny. I also hate Borat and I dislike also just about anything that Will Ferrell cranks out (The Other Guys was alright). Yet I’m told these are the height of comedy (at least right now). I found the Gamer Gurls parody of Katy Perry’s California Gurls condescending and mocking because it portrayed nerds and geeks in a bad light (while trying to make the girls look awesome for liking the exact same things) and yet I really like The Big Bang Theory, which features some unflattering nerd stereotypes.
So what’s funny to you?