That’s Funny
By: Dan Jones
Is Jerry Lewis strictly for the French? Are the Three Stooges only for balding husbands? Does Will Ferrell annoy everyone? Because many claimed Cheri Oteri and Ferrell wore out the dancing and clapping cheerleading “Saturday Night Live” skit.
I suppose everything can’t be funny to everyone.
“I’m a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh?” – Tommy DeVito of “Goodfellas” (Or was it the plagiarizing clown from my son’s birthday party?)
Movies have a wide range of antics lately, and television’s no different. Shows such as “Arrested Development,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “Two and a Half Men” are not for everyone. One cannot push their giggles and guffaws onto another. Don’t even recommend a comedic show or movie if you don’t know the person well. If you do know your pal’s taste, don’t tell him/her how funny the program will be. And for all that is funny and holy, don’t watch it with them the first time out! You may be rolling on the carpet, red in the face at BBC’s original run of “The Office,” while your friend’s face is red with embarrassment or anger. (Wait. Did you know there was a funnier, more quality BBC version?)
“That’s like … your opinion, man.” –The Dude of “The Big Lebowski” (Or my mechanic.)
The world once loved Borat. Now, the majority says they haven’t seen the whole movie or never thought it tolerable (or never read the entire lengthy title “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.”) Nor was there an overwhelming desire to see Sacha Baron Cohen’s deeper-cutting and more accurately documented “Bruno.” (For the 2009 release, we bought tickets in advance just to sit in a half-empty theater of mostly disgusted individuals.)
Is it a statistical possibility for 90% of fans to turn away from the Kazakhstani, or do people pretend to go gaga over a movie they’ve never seen? Buy the T-shirt at Target, but then donate it to charity once the hype is over? Good old innocent Borat reeled me in for a number of laughs, and so I can’t say I didn’t like the movie. I was mildly disappointed, being a fan of “Da Ali G Show” on which “Borat” (and “Bruno”) are based. Do I no longer shout, “That’s nice! ” while high-fiving someone?
“Don’t be hatin’!” – B-Rad of “Malibu’s Most Wanted” (Or my local bank teller.)
We don’t need the “haters,” the backlashes. We can overcome a dependency on bullying. Idiotic phrase or not, “player hating” acknowledges the bitterness we taste as we lick our chops.
Betty White, for example, is as cute as ever; and “Golden Girls” was a good show. She’s had a rewarding career. These college guys with the dirty Betty White phrases – Are they truly fans? Because I’m not going to stand for sudden criticism against a ninety-year-old cutie (no, I don’t wear Betty White shirts). Happy Birthday, Betty.
And “Bridesmaids.” I’m happy women can lead a comedy to new heights; but when the 2012 Golden Globe ceremony mentions “poop” as the main ingredient to a film worthy of the Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical award, for what stature are we reaching?
“When the world laughs, you laugh at it.” – Anon Y. Mous
I’m literally asking these questions. There are chunks of sarcasm within the need-to-know – which has no basis beyond my theories – but I’d like to think there’s some logic to the comedic world.
A current example of the movie-hyp (as in hypocrisy), although not a laugh-riot, is “The Devil Inside.” Opening weekend grossed over $33 million while IMDb.com rated it 3.8 out of 10 stars. Were that many filmgoers scammed by the trailer? Did they expect something else? It was rated R, so zero blame can go to the preteens sneaking in. (Not many sneaked, according to the $33 million.) Therefore … what was I saying?
“The best jokes are the ones you’ve heard.” – Anonymous (Alright, fine! I said that.)
How many believe “Napoleon Dynamite” was one of the most overrated films of 2004? Had we not lived in that time, we would believe it was a flop; however, that isn’t the truth. For a year or more after, every corner you turned, a Napoleon movie line was uttered by someone near another guy in a “Vote for Pedro” shirt. Or did I dream this happening?
“To dream is to laugh.” (That’s me, too. Just hold on. I’ll get a good one.)
I’ve always loved “Napoleon Dynamite.” I still do. I’m not afraid to quote Kip’s lines in a shopping mall. I also have no problem expressing my dislike for the faster paced, catch-phrase throwing “Napoleon Dynamite” television program (pilot written by original writer/director Jared Hess and voiced by original cast). But I’ll watch it again. Maybe creator Hess and company were “Luckyyyy” (drawn out and up with a sigh like Napoleon) the first time and have forgotten what made Napoleon dynamite.
“Obscure references should fall between the lines, not between the eyes.” (Who said that?! Yes. I did.)
You may love Owen Wilson but hate Vince Vaughn; like Adam Sandler, but none of his movies; avoid “South Park” and their current issues (political and mental), but tell everyone you know what Peter said in a five-year old “Family Guy” episode; or watch a movie starring Will Farrell but have never heard of “Drowning Mona” (or know of Farrell as the funeral director).
“You stick to the point, or the point will stick IT to you.” (Not bad, if I do quote so myself.)
Comedy has changed and has generated separate genres beyond Dramedies (drama and comedy). Toilet humor can now last for a fifteen minute segment, but so could a non-grotesque Three Stooges plumbing calamity filmed over seventy years ago. Smart comedies are considered boring, but what about William Shakespare? (You probably do think he’s boring.)
And how did beating a dead horse become one of the most popular styles today? (“Beating a dead horse” refers to “overkill:” a joke, or situation, continuing until no longer bearable. Sometimes the repeated joke can come back around as funny, but not if everyone is coming back around with their lazy jokes.)
“The lazy will inherit the laughs.” (This quote wasn’t me. Yes, it was.)
Comedy will always be an art form based on truths, timing, and dipped-in obnoxious moments. Subtle, however, is better. (See “Laurel & Hardy,” silent stunt-man Buster Keaton, or Chevy Chase’s throw-away lines in “Caddyshack.”)
The individual has a right to laugh at whatever he/she wishes. If “Crazy, Stupid Love” manages to draw a couple snickers or a hardy belly laugh, that’s your space. I won’t invade it. Just as I’d like one to respect my opinion of the funniest comedy of 2008: “Gran Torino.” (I had tears of laughter running down my cheeks as the end credits rolled.)
A serious HOWEVER: don’t be embarrassed to admit they got you smiling. I fail to find the sense of humor in denial of laughter.
“It takes more muscles to frown than smile, but you can probably get a nice set of abs from laughing at “Dumb and Dumber” with an open mind.” (Jim Carrey in an interview? Nope. Me again.)
Lastly, I’ll stay open-minded, as in, I’ll share my video copy of “Brain Donors” before I watch John Turturro chase his own character development in another “Transformers.” (“Brain Donors” is a poorly-made Marx Brothers spoof with funny moments… like “Transformers.”)
There are many quotes and books about the truth in comedy. Research.
In the mean time, I’ll add my two pennies for thoughts and say …
“If there’s nothing relatable, why would we care to laugh?”
Hold on. I can do better than that.
“The jester should laugh as much as the next mister.”
No. I don’t understand that one. What if I said ….
“All giggles come from real wiggles.”
There, all I did was rhyme!
“The truth will make you wee … your pants.”
That’s like hasty sitcom writing.
“You laugh, I laugh, we all … laughed?”
I actually lacked confidence within that joke. Look at the question mark at the end of it.
“Give me truth, or give me death.”
I don’t know about that. Let’s keep it simple.
“Don’t MAKE me laugh, just make me LAUGH.”
Not bad, if I do say so to myself. (Just imagine me saying something witty about there needing to be a truth base for a comedy tower.)
Hey!
NOTE: What does everyone think of the Farrelly Brothers finally releasing “The Three Stooges” movie? Trailer looks appropriately slap-stick, and it appears they picked worthy performances over “looking the part. ”