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Each week our Boomer-In-Charge, Hershel Chicowitz, has something to say about life, society, or what's going on... from the perspective of a baby boomer. This is what's on his mind the week of April 5:
It always intrigues me to discover what people think is funny. What are the elements of humor? What makes something funny? Sorry, that's way beyond the scope for today.
Each week we receive e-mail from half a dozen people who want us to take them off our Joke of the Week, Plus! mailing list. Sometimes they offer no reason. "Please remove me from your mailing list; NOW." Somebody signed up for our Joke of the Week, Plus! in late January, and then asked to be removed in mid-February. That's like walking out of a movie theatre before the opening credits are finished.
Two weeks ago, someone wrote, "Stop sending me these stupid jokes; they are not funny." But the same day one of our regulars wrote, "I laughed so hard, I...." well, never mind; that's more than we want to know about what she did. And just last week, someone wrote, "I love the jokes... even the bad ones."
Bad ones? Makes no sense to me. I thought we had a rather narrow, uniquely defined audience most all of whom would all find the same things to be funny.
Naturally, a lot of what makes something funny is based on your age. When I was seven I thought the roadrunner cartoons were funny. Today, I am rooting for Wyle Coyote to clobber that jerky, little pipsqueak.
When I was a kid, this was my favorite joke: A man was flying an airplane when the engine died. Fortunately, he had parachute. Unfortunately, the parachute didn't open. Fortunately, there was a haystack below him. Unfortunately, there was a pitchfork in the haystack. Fortunately he missed the pitchfork. Unfortunately, he missed the haystack.
I donno', but when I was seven, I thought that was hysterical.
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A lot of humor is generational. That is, in order to understand it, you
have to have been influenced by the events of the times. My parents
died before I began my attempts at humorous writing. But it's
probably just as well. My father had a subtle, dry sense of humor, and
my mother thought I was more goofy than funny. Of course, my mother was
the master, as you can see, to the right. I read what I think is one of my best essays ("Midlife Crisis - The Defining Moment") to a couple of my parents' friends (now in their 80's.) I thought I was sharing some of my best material with them. They smiled politely at the right places and complimented me on my efforts, but I could tell they weren't even the slightest bit amused. |
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But then, some humor is ageless. When I was a teenager I remember
hearing Bill Cosby's
"Noah and the Ark" routine.
"Noah... how long can you tread water?" I still think it is one of the
funniest comedy routines ever written. (And yes, you can still buy it and
other Cosby comedy albums through
our link to Amazon.com. It's really
wonderful!) And Jackie Gleason's "The Honeymooners"... I have seen every episode half a dozen times, It was a riot when I was a kid, and it is still a riot! |
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So I would think that we baby boomers, who were raised at the same time, under similar influences... I would think that most of us would find the same things to be funny. Then again, maybe not.
Do you remember Rush Limbaugh's television show? I watched it a few times. He had a small, studio audience for the show. And all he had to do was hold a couple sheets of paper up to the microphone and rustle them violently... and he would get a huge laugh. Folks, I don't care what you think about Rush's political views, but that is not funny!
Of course, comedians long ago learned that all they had to do was spew a string of foul words at an audience or mention a few body orifices or bodily functions, and they would get a laugh. Maybe it is just because it is not in my nature to take the easy way, but I don't find that stuff to be particularly funny or creative. The first couple times I hear a guy in a suit and tie use the words "pee-pee," it is funny; after that... no.
A couple months ago I went to see a local comedian who is billed as "the funniest man alive." He began his show with a little banter with the audience in the front rows. "Where ya' from?"... "Oh, that dump?" Then he looked at a young couple and said, "You two married? No, huh." Then he looked at the woman and said, "You slut, you!"
That's funny? The box below contains all the funny material from his 90-minute show that was not based on that gutter-level premise:
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As Paul Harvey says, he would like me to mention his name...
Most of the jokes we use come from visitors to our site. All the material (including the jokes) at BBHQ has to pass the "mother" test. If I would not have felt comfortable reading it to my mother, it doesn't make the cut. That is why you will never read stories about my social life, as hilariously funny as it is. (See Marla, it's just between you and me.)
And it has nothing to do with "political correctness"; it is just a matter of discretion. I will admit I do enjoy a clever, off-color joke (in private), mind you. Oh, the Bill and Monica jokes that I have cataloged.... whew! I love the ones that begin with "A minister, a priest, and a rabbi...." But most of them don't pass the test. My best Jewish jokes from from my Jewish, former high school classmate, Denny Perkowitz. I get a lot of lawyer jokes, but none from lawyers themselves. That ought to tell you something. And I can always tell when a joke begins with "A travelling salesman's car breaks down, and he knocks on the door of a nearby farmer...." It's a dead give-away. Almost as much so as the limericks that begin, "There once was a girl from Nantucket...."
Sorry, mom.
If you want to write more, we're open to offerings from other boomers. If you have something to say of interest to boomers, write it as well as you can in 700-900 words, and send it to us. We can't guarantee we'll publish it, but we'll surely consider it.
For more of Hershel's essays, check the BBHQ Archives or the Boomer Essays.
Hershel will have something else to say on April 12; mark your calendar to come back to BBHQ every Monday.
| The BBHQ Album of the Month is "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD)," by Simon & Garfunkel. If you were fortunate enough to see them in concert last year, I do not have to sell you. The concert was terrific! This album collection includes 55 songs, plus their new recording, "Citizen of the Planet," and one of the songs sung by the Everly Brothers during the concert. The DVD was recorded during their concert in Madison Square Garden in 2003. For any S&G fan, this is a must have! But then, you knew that already, didn't you? |
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The BBHQ Book of the Month is
"Vinyl Highway," by
Dee Dee Phelps. You remember her as Dee Dee, of Dick and Dee Dee.
Together, they took a decade long ride on the rock and roll roller
coaster. It was a heck of a ride! Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach
Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee
rubbed shoulders with all of them. This is her "behind the scenes" story.
It's pretty cool.
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