What is humorous?

[jmc_bks]

I saw a car/bike accident on the way home last night. I was stopped at a light when a bike flashed past, riding between me and the parked cars on the right; the cyclist was not wearing a helmet, despite the fact that this is a busy stretch of road, and he shot through the intersection before the light turned green. About fifty feet past me, a parked motorist opened up his car door just as the cyclist reached him. You can imagine what happened next: the cyclist went flying over the handle bars and the bike ended up in the middle of the street. I stomped on my brakes to avoid hitting the bike, the cyclist and the still-open car door. The driver and the cyclist screamed at each other, then went on their merry ways. It reminded me of a gag that I've seen on tv or in movies, or maybe in a commercial. Except in real life it wasn't all that funny; my passenger was upset for the rest of the commute. Which got me to thinking about how very subjective humor is and how hard it is to do right. I mean, it all comes down to tone and inflection and a shared frame of reference and even body language for stand up comics.

I'm not a big fan of slapstick humor. I think it all goes back to Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner, and the outlandish stuff Coyote did in an attempt to catch the Roadrunner. Even as a kid, I used to worry about him getting hurt doing all that dumb stuff that was bound for failure. The Three Stooges? Not funny; in fact I'd rather have dental work without novocaine than watch a 3S marathon. But I get that a lot of people love slapstick. ::shrugs:: I'm sure a lot of people find George Carlin, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Dennis Leary and Carlos Mencia either not funny or offensive, but I love them all. To each, her own.

Then my mind wandered over to humor in romance novels. More subjectivity here. Look at MaryJanice Davidson. Some people love her Undead books, others despise them, mostly because of whether or not you as a reader like the sarcastic humor. Take Nonnie St. George, author of traditional Regencies that some people just rave about, while others think the books are wall-bangers. As hard as it must be to be a stand up comic, I think it has to be harder to write a funny romance novel, and even harder to write a funny novel that will sell well. The author can't rely on the visual contact with her audience to convey the punchline, she can't use dramatic pauses in her dialogue or different voices to play different characters. All of that stuff that a stand up comic uses takes place in the head of the reader, and if the reader isn't on the same page (mentally speaking) as the author, then the humor bombs.

I don't really have a point about the humor, other than I think it must incredibly hard to do right. Just thought I would share my mental meanderings.

Comments

[riley-merrick.livejournal.com]

This is why I can't review Jennifer Crusie books -- I love her humor, but I have such a hard time describing it and doing it justice.

And thumbs-up on Stewart and Colbert! ;-)

Crusie

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right about reviewing Crusie. Once I tried to recommend her backlist to a friend, and described WTT and CFY; she thought they sounded very dark (stalking, murder, pornography, etc.) I hurried to explain, no, no, they were very funny, but I couldn't do them justice.

[(Anonymous)]

I doubt there is any single "right" way to do humor. As you pointed out, it's terribly subjective. Some folks find Jim Carrey funny (not me). Some folks find The Three Stooges funny (not me). Regarding your list of comics, I'm with you on every one of them except Mencias. For some reason, when I watch him, I feel like bitch slapping the guy. So I don't watch him ;)

Doug (Balls & Walnuts Doug. That Doug.)

Getting humor right

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Hi, That Doug! You're right -- there is no such thing as a "right" way to do humor. That was poor word choice on my part. I hope the jist of what I was trying to say was clear (as mud, I'm sure) -- basically that humor is hard enough in person, and likely not to please everyone in the audience; humor in fiction is even harder because of the narrowing of the audience and separation of the author from the reader. I think that was what I was trying to say. Or maybe not. Sometimes I just run on pointlessly :)

Re: Getting humor right

[(Anonymous)]

You were clear. I just wanted to groan over Jim Carrey and The Three Stooges. And, while I'm at it, Sam Kinison. Ew.

I'll stop now.

Doug

Re: Getting humor right

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

No to Jim Carrey. And Sam Kinison. And Gallagher. Another comedian I just don't get -- Jerry Seinfeld. *cringes, waiting for the gasps of shock*