A Dose of Strong Medicine

If there's anything I know, it's this: Continuing my blog will mean continuing to laugh at myself even more than I laugh at what I see around me! And why not? Do any of us know why we find certain things more amusing than others? And, of the other things I profess to "know", another is that I couldn't remotely begin to explain my sense of humor, not even to myself. I mean, I seem to have no standards beyond a gut feeling that something I say or do will get a laugh. Cleverness only takes anyone so far because it's not so much WHAT we say or do so much as HOW we say or do it! Comedians like Jack Benny and Phyllis Diller couldn't be more different, but both of them are icons of comedy. And, sure, The Three Stooges have their detractors, but their goofball physical gags paved the way not only for Laverne and Shirley, but also for roller derby and professional wrestling! Violence is prevalent because of its visceral appeal and the need to provide "conflict". So it goes with sex. But humor is a necessary part of who we are because it manages to transcend race, creed, skin color, national origin, gender and religiosity. It does this largely by poking fun at people who are in some way different from us, or in some way set apart from the rest of us! Big surprise, right? Liberal stand up comedians crack jokes about conservatives. Women crack jokes about men. Protestants crack jokes about Catholics. Germans crack jokes about Poles. And pretty much everyone cracks jokes about me. But seriously, folks...think about it. We laugh when others cry. We laugh when we feel superior. We laugh when we think we're sharing an insight that others are oblivious to. Come to think of it, we aren't particularly concerned about offending anyone, even in this post-politically correct age! There are "blonde" jokes, knock-knock jokes, "sick" jokes, parodies and satires, jokes about everything from aardvarks to zygotes (OK, I've never actually heard a joke about either of these, but I bet they exist lol) and most of them are quite likely to be considered offensive by a great many people. Even the most innocuous seeming off-the-cuff remark has ended many a promising relationship--except in talking pictures, which have undoubtedly contributed to the mass distribution of sarcasm, despite the efforts of playwrights ancient and modern to serve up many helpings of snappy put-downs and witty repartee. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that two protagonists--one male, one female--will ultimately find themselves engaged and locking lips if the bulk of their shared story has them almost constantly bickering and sniping at each other. And to think, such things are called "romantic comedies", ha ha. It's impossible to imagine a world without humor. And, in the face of the tragedies that surround us on a daily basis, who doesn't want to escape, however briefly, into a fit of mirth? For every accident that just "happens", for every incredible turn of events that affirms Murphy's Law, and for every so-called "act of God" (act of Satan, more like) that wipes out a trailer park or a major metropolitan area, isn't it comforting to know that where there's laughter, there's hope? [And where there's Hope, can Crosby and Lamour be far behind on the road to Utopia?] If there's anything I know, it's this: whatever each of us loves or hates, we're willing to joke about it. This is why there's such a fine line between comedy and tragedy. When we're born we're slapped on the backside and shed a few tears. Where's the fun in THAT? Especially when we find out that the punchline may not leave us laughing! So, the importance of being human isn't to weep as babes, it's to mitigate suffering as we mature. We do this, in large measure, by taking the sting out of life through love and laughter. We do what we do because some things are simply too horrible to bear in the absence of levity. Indeed, if there's anything else I think I know, it's this: If there's any way to exit laughing, I will! But, if not, I'm damn sure heading offstage to some seriously ass-kicking applause!