sense of humor

[FRUITbat]

My friend has a sense of humor so complex and obscure no-one else finds it amusing.

does he have a good sense of humor? cos he thinks he does. Also what make funny, are their a few fundamental laws of humor and funnyness? Opinions please.

[rekstout]

I would say tha a funny person is only funny when there is a majority agreement - otherwise they are just a smarta*se.

Thinkn that one is funny does not qualify one as funny - otherwise, by the same rationale, all men would be fantastic lovers, all women really would be right all the time and putting a massive spoiler and cheap alloys on a Vauxhall Nova realy would turn it into a supercar.

[andy hughes]

Humour is entirely subjective, but your friend thinking he has a good sense of humour, when the reactions of those around him suggests otherwise, indicates that he is somewhat self-centred. It appears that your friend equates being 'funny' with being likeable, which of course is not necessarily the case. Depending how close a friend he is, and how receptive he might be to some honest advice - sugest he stops trying so hard to be the group wit, and just go with the flow, and maybe add a funny comment if it fits in with the level of conversation, and the humour of those present. Failure to do so is going to alienate your friend pretty rapidly, and he'll get the message rather more forcefully that way! Good luck.

[WaldoMcFroog]

I would say that there's a large degree of truth in what rekstout says, but I wouldn't completely agree that humour is completely governed by consensus. And, it must be noted that people have different milage for what they think is funny. Personally, I find the Bernard Manning/ Jim Davidson style of 'humour' to be lazy, crass and offensive, but I'm also aware that some people manage to find them hillarious. It's also partly because I've run a comedy club that many gags/ acts strike me as being a lazy retread/ direct plagurism of someone else, even when the audience has been wetting itself - indeed, as a club owner, you have to walk a line between only getting acts you think are innovative or original and getting ones that will guarantee laughs, but these things are subject to change too. One example, Eddie Izzard and Reeves and Mortimer both spent years being ignored by crowds or getting boo'ed off before crowds started to twig what they were trying to do with their comedy.

-

However, in general terms, there are some basic rules of comedy. Actually, there's just one - subvert what the audience expects. Nearly all comedy works by some variation of this rule - even comedy you or I might despise.

[honkytonkman]

Hmm if nobody laughs, then I assume he's not funny. It's like playing the piano, hitting random notes and saying 'it IS a musical masterpiece' just that you're all too musically illterate to fathom it out. If he's one of these people who says 'I'm really wacky I am', 'I'm soooo crazy', then I'd tend to think he's not, but would like to be popular...

[Ewood27]

My school English teacher (many years ago) maintained that the essence of humour is the unexpected - which agrees with what Waldo says.

[RCP]

Anyone remember John Sessions on Whose Line Is It Anyway - just came across as an over-educated tw@t. I know this is heresy but I find Stephen Fry too much sometimes as well (like his written stuff though).

[paulz]

A lot of it depends on the situation and the company. What a lot of occupations like fire, police etc find hilarious at the time and also defusing the gravity of a situation - a kind of black humour, other people would find as either insensitive or crass. I guess we've all got our own opinions, perhaps your friend needs to listen more and pick up the mood of the company he's in before sounding off?

[j2buttonsw]

By the way you describe him, he sounds very funny to me. Have any examples of his bon mots?

[MrPooHead]

In summary then, your mate is as funny as he thinks he is, and John Sessions IS an over educated tw*t. The opinion of the masses is nothing to go by, and pack mentallity is the refuge of cowardly or ignorant. Just because all the music you hear on the radio of TV sells loads doesn't make it any good. It's all relative. It's what you expect, because you don't know any different. Why not encourage individuality and nurture peoples uniqueness, instead of complying with this media driven, consumerist feeling that is so ingrained in our psyche, most of us don't even realise it? So your mate's called Tarquin and he laughs at Goat Husbandry manuals...bring it on, that's what I say. I'm p*ssed so disregard everything I just said. Do I win the star prize?

[Mintox]

all depends on what he says, when, how and if its revelent to the current coversation. I dont find jokes funny but i find comments funny about what people just did. Things that carry the conversation on and keep it flowing normally are the best. ie what you think of iraq?? Rember when Jimmy car got stuck in the snow or heard the one about the dog!! that woudent work. It's all about timing. But your mate must be odd if he still does all these 'jokes' and no one laughs. Surely he must of learnt to shut up by now?? just tell him to shut up. I would - and i bet you get a laugh as well!