As I’ve mentioned before I’ve been listening to old radio programs a lot these days. They provide a tonic for the generally upsetting news of the day. One of the programs included a public service spot from Bill Goodwin, longtime announcer for Burns and Allen on the radio which concluded: “If we can laugh together as a people, we can live together as a nation.”
Consider that in the context of this article at The Atlantic on the decline of the Hollywood comedy:
The decline of the comedy is a trend that has been under way for a while now. Hollywood’s reluctance to make comedies is also explained by declining DVD sales, itself caused by growth in streaming services like Netflix (which are commissioning their own original content, including comedy television).
Still, over the years, comedy figures (like Jerry Lewis, weirdly popular in France) have occasionally been a useful “soft power†foreign policy tool for the U.S. At another time of geopolitical uncertainty, if the world doesn’t think America is funny anymore, could it actually be a problem?
or this from the Hollywood Reporter:
Comedy lovers, not to mention fans of Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling, took succor in early June from the promising limited opening of Late Night. The picture, which Amazon Studios acquired at Sundance for a reported $13 million, debuted the weekend of June 7 to a per-screen average of $62,414, second only this year to Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame.
A week later, the picture fizzled when it went wide, earning $5.1 million, or $2,314 per screen (a third of Men in Black: International’s per screen take, itself a disappointment), thereby proving itself the latest in a string of comedy casualties at the box office.
Attributed to many but apparently original to Carol Burnett, “Comedy is tragedy plus time” is appropriate. Is the decline of comedy because everything is so ephemeral these days, present today forgotten tomorrow (unless it’s useful in raking up an old score), or because when you see tragedy as central to your identity nothing can possibly ever be funny?
That’s not funny.
No.
And, “a people” is something we are too diverse to be. No offence intended.
Though I do believe laughter is absolutely essential for a person’s physical health, we can no longer afford it. You have a good idea though, old programs, listening privately, so no one questions you’re wokeness, laughing under you’re breath, closed door, dark room. Might get by with it..
I kind of think this is all of a piece with the general change in humor. Younger people dont tell jokes anymore. They watch short bits on Youtube. (They may watch comedians on TV, doing 5 minute bits. They might watch half hour comedy shows.) Also, the humor needs to be visual and very non-subtle. Movies require at least some plot, and dialogue is important.
Steve
They’re afraid to.
Additionally, they have been taught to be passive consumers. That is very different from my family’s history and practice. By the time I was three I could sing, act, do the time step, and tell jokes. I am happy to say that tradition has largely continued among my nieces and nephews. We’re producers not just consumers. They still sing, dance, and tell stories when they get together.
“They’re afraid to.”
Sure, if they are going to an expensive liberal arts school or live in San Francisco. In the rest of the world we can still tell jokes, and there are still lots of places where we dont really need to censor much. They still dont tell jokes. They laugh at them and ask if you have more, but dont tell them.
Steve
OK, Steve, give us a joke. I want to know what you think is funny.
Seriously, anybody at all, give us a joke. I need to laugh.
OK, Steve Harvey has this one:
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrCwGFmYipdHSkAbgAPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTB0N2Noc21lBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwaXZz?p=Steve+Harvey+on+weekends&type=YHS_ISS_52448&hspart=Lkry&hsimp=yhs-newtab¶m1=na3P9yVrJC49HXh_FSc4PKiXsfUToVZqtFjAOQiVIXvr0n6O9K_RS42LDqmDd6bcAzLGGwIbADnhmzBwC4E3NntoBXSJ0h7raDcosMHhzaQtUB1A3D_RVMtzpQZwNaxjTHu2zcIq4r0cB4JBve3ebMtFWpol5J7-ZHstDZE4Exrp96ijraMFZjS8ayYpBEeVqWjeaZM4M8gjovgXzzkadpjEoO9X9Syate86NeuUeWbTOwqKa3etNAhSqx0ACbvks5_PokreOp8%2C&ei=UTF-8&fr=yhs-Lkry-newtab#id=1&vid=0c99dd32eb0af25b00d252c3b3a9efd3&action=view
OK:
https://youtu.be/TvSqfwxQec4
The are of the joke is in the telling, but if you like written jokes this is a classic. It helps to have spent some time in Texas.
https://247sports.com/college/texas-tech/Board/102959/Contents/Best-joke-I-have-ever-read-Texas-Chili-Cookoff-54714808/
Steve
I’m not sure that the decline of the Hollywood Comedy (assuming such a decline actually exists) means much. Sitcoms still seem pretty popular (though I admit I watch hardly any TV), and there’s a lot of comedy on podcasts and youtube, though most of it is stand-up.
But I think I get the point. Our society seems to have drawn so many red lines that not even comedy is allowed to cross.
A couple checks into a Caribbean resort. Very fancy. They are there for a few days, in a 15th-floor penthouse suite. One night, the front desk clerk is on duty all by himself when the man calls, agitated:
“You need to get up here right away. My wife is really upset and trying to jump off of the balcony.â€
The clerk replies that he cannot leave his station, as he is the only one on duty, and he is forbidden to leave the front desk unmanned. The man starts getting upset and starts yelling for the clerk to come help him.
“She’s not kidding. She’s had enough of our marriage and enough of life, and wants to end it all.â€
The clerk is upset too, but still…. “Sir, I cannot leave my station for any reason except a maintenance or mechanical emergency.â€
The man replies: “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, you idiot. The goddamn sliding window is stuck and won’t open.”
Bada bing !
——————————————-
Little Larry attended a horse auction with his father. He watched as his father moved from horse to horse, slowly running his hands up and down the horse’s legs and rump, and chest. After a few minutes, Larry asked, ‘Dad, why are you doing that?â€
His father replied, “Because when I’m buying horses, I have to make sure that they are healthy and in good shape, with firm legs, a strong chest, and a solid rump before I put good money down.â€
Little Larry, looking very worried, says, ‘Dad, I think the UPS guy wants to buy Mom.’
Rim shot….
———————————
Tommy’s dad, an engineer, is fascinated by the latest technology. One day he buys a brings home an AI programmed robot that can tell when people are lying. And when it does it reaches out and slaps them on the face.
At dinner he asks 15 yr old Tommy “what were you doing at Jimmys house last night?†“We were watching action hero movies,dad.†Slap! The robot springs into action.
Tommy sheepishly admits “ Ok, ok, we were watching pornos.†Tommy’s dad laughs and says “gotcha†and tells Tommy, “well, I didn’t see my first porno until I was 25 yrs old.†Slap!!
The mother laughs sarcastically and says “well, Tommy, you certainly are your father’s son.†Slap!!!!! Robot for sale……
Ah, yes. I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way home……
Being the golf fanatic you are, I was surprised you didnt go with…
A man and a friend are playing golf one day at their local golf course. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer.
His friend says: “Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You truly are a kind man.â€
The man then replies: “Yeah, well we were married 35 years.â€
Steve
Yeah, that’s an old one.
Try this:
A guy tucks his daughter into bed and as she says her prayers she says “and goodby to grandpa.” The thinks that’s odd but leaves his daughter to sleep. But then the next day grandpa suddenly dies. This destabilizes the man, but whatever.
A week later he’s tucking his daughter in and after her prayers she says “and goodby to grandma.” The guy again thinks its odd, but leaves his daughter to sleep. Wouldn’t you know, the next day grandma dies suddenly. This really destabilizes the guy. “What, do I have a daughter who can see the future?”
About another week goes by. Same thing: prayers and then “and goodby to daddy.” Now this totally freaks him out. So he stays at work late the next day guzzling coffee and pacing the office. He figures “if I can just get to midnight I’m OK.” Midnight passes, so he goes home relieved.
His wife says “what happened, you never stay that late at work?” He tells her he just had a really rough work day and there were things he had to get done. His wife replies “you think you had a rough day. I was taking a lesson from my golf pro this morning and he keeled over dead from a heart attack right on the practice range.”
And that ain’t all……….