Let's Put A Smile On That Face

An interesting thought occurred to me, about an hour ago: Why are things funny?

We all laugh at certain things. Everybody has a different sense of humor. One thing I will laugh at, another person will be offended, another won't think it was very funny, and another one just won't get it.

Why do I laugh at things that I know are wrong, and object to? Incest is wrong. It is a terrible crime, and I abhor it. But in the famous joke "The Aristocrats," it's an integral part, and when told well, is a hilarious joke.

Of course, many people do not get it, or just don't think it's funny. An hour ago, I watched South Park's version of the joke, where Cartman tells it at the bus stop to Kyle, Kenny and Stan. When he gives the punchline, he does not look at the other boys, which he does while telling the joke, but looks straight into the "camera" with a big goofy grin. It made me laugh so hard my neighbor came up to find out what was going on. When I showed it to her, she didn't get it at all. Couldn't understand "what was so damn funny."

So really, what is "funny?" I'm not going to go into philosophical or sociological reasons, I just think it's odd how humans developed a sense of humor. What's weirder, is that some people seem to not have a sense of humor at all, and don't laugh.

I think that, in general, the average person has a pretty good sense of humor. But, people have a terrible sense of humor. People in general lack a lot of what persons do, which is why I enjoy persons more than people anyway. So, to segue, here are a couple of good quotations (I'll probably do a entire post of them when I get the time to hunt all the ones I've heard down), and a couple versions of the Aristocrats joke if you haven't heard it or want to hear it again.

Signing off,
Tiberius Jones

"People suck. But persons are worthwhile, Miss Rogers. Always."
-Harry Dresden

"Think off-center."
"The status quo sucks."
"One can never know for sure what a deserted area looks like."
-George Carlin

"Common sense is not so common."
"I decided to be happy because it's good for my health"
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
-Voltaire

"Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent."
-Kahlan Amnell Rahl

"The time for desperation is upon us. Let's play."
-Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander

"The only sovereign I can allow to rule me is reason. The first law of reason is this: what exists exists; what is is. From this irreducible, bedrock principle, all knowledge is built. This is the foundation from which life is embraced. Reason is a choice. Wishes and whims are not facts, nor are they a means to discovering them. Reason is our only way of grasping reality--it is our basic tool of survival. We are free to evade the effort of thinking, to reject reason, but we are not free to avoid the penalty of the abyss we refuse to see."
-Richard Rahl

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS ARE EXTREMELY EXPLICIT. DO NOT WATCH THESE IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY EXPLICIT LANGUAGE.