Exaggeration
Slippery slopes make for the funniest of simple jokes. On Tool Time, for example, Tim Allen is fretting about his oldest son Brad (and again, I paraphrase). He says to his wife that if Brad doesn't go to college, he'll never get a degree, and if he doesn't get a degree, he'll have to move back in, and if he moves back in, Tim and his wife will have to baby-sit the whole new family of Brad, Brad's wife, their kids, etc., when they are in walkers'.
The Truth
Funny jokes are based in truth'somebody's truth. This is unfortunately how racist jokes have survived, too, as they are based in a common understanding of what is a truth (which is in fact an ignorant mythological, collective truth). But since we can get away with humor about an ethnicity if we are of that ethnicity (and known for our people's sense of humor, ahem), let's pull off a mild one here:
What's a Jewish dilemma? Free ham.
Self- and Other-Effacing Funny Jokes
Telling the truth about oneself is safe. And the more ridiculous the better. David Sedaris is superb at pointing out his own inanities and idiosyncrasies:he writes of having the booze-drinking, cigarette-smoking, aproned housewife mother who has a coffee clatch neighbor over for a visit one morning, and how he, with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), is still compelled to carry out his necessary rituals, no matter how bizarre, no matter that an outsider will witness them. So he walks to the doorway of the kitchen where his mother and their neighbor are chatting, and he steps to the wall near the door, to the light switch. He begins his imperative licking of the light switch. The neighbor is stunned and staring. The mother just rolls her eyes and says something casual, like, 'David, stop licking the light switch and come say hello to Suzie Q.'[note: paraphrased from memory]
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UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News United Press International Vieira, who worked with Hudgens early in her entertainment career, had alleged the 20-year-old singer owed him at least $5 million. The settlement comes less than two weeks before the suit was to go to trial May 11. Details of the settlement were not ... |
Music: Music this weekend Philadelphia Inquirer, PA Live music and more, tonight through Thursday, compiled by Shaun Brady, Tom Di Nardo, James Johnson, Sara Sherr and Jonathan Takiff. Connie Talbot: Unlike on our "American Idol," any and all ages are eligible for the UK show "Britain's Got Talent. ... |
 Billboard | Van Warped co-founder plans country music tour Reuters - Ray Waddell By Ray Waddell NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Kevin Lyman has a pretty warped view of country music, and that could be a good thing. The co-founder of the Vans Warped, Rockstar Taste of Chaos and Rockstar Mayhem tours now has his sights set on a similar tour ... 'Warped' tour creator to do country shows Oh, Great. Another Weekend of Country No One Can Afford |
 ABC News | Research: Birds can dance to music United Press International Dr. Aniruddh Patel, a researcher at The Neurosciences Institute in San Diego and lead author of one of the studies, said he and his team performed experiments with a cockatoo that moves to music, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday. ... Head-banging parrot proves birds can dance This Cockatoo Can Shake His Tail Feathers Birds can dance in time to music |
 KAUZ | Tom Hicks selling Mesquite Rodeo The Associated Press Dallas-based Camelot Sports and Entertainment announced Friday that it has purchased the rodeo, which has been in operation more than 50 years and owned by Hicks for 10. The rodeo was a minor segment of Hicks Sports Group. Hicks recently stopped making ... Mesquite Rodeo sold to Camelot Sports |
 New York Times | Habitats | Prospect-Lefferts Gardens Musicians Preferred; Loud ... New York Times, United States - Deborah Baldwin There's Peter Seymour, 31, who has played string bass for the Cleveland Orchestra and whose chamber-music ensemble Project played to a standing-room-only crowd at Joe's Pub in March. He lives upstairs from Mark Small, 34, a saxophone player who tours ... |
10-Q: CEC ENTERTAINMENT INC MarketWatch (press release) We develop, operate and franchise family dining and entertainment centers under the name "Chuck E. Cheese's(R)" in 48 states and six foreign countries or territories. Chuck E. Cheese's stores feature musical and comic entertainment by robotic and ... Chuck E. Cheese says swine flu hurts sales CEC Entertainment Q1 Profit Rises - Quick Facts CEC Entertainment Reports Financial Results for the First Quarter ... |
