I love humor and I love people that make me laugh, but I can have trouble with ‘funny.’
First, I’m not particularly funny. I can be amusing and witty I suppose. With wit that is often rather acerbic, and quite frankly often cunty. But by and large I don’t think I am particularly funny. If asked to name 10 top traits about myself, funny would not be on there. And I doubt that anyone who knows me would use the word ‘funny.’
Most traditional comedies - movies or television shows - give me anxiety. Thinking of any self-described class clown I have ever known and I automatically cringe. This is not something I particularly like about myself - I wish I enjoyed a Ben Stiller or Will Ferrell movie with every other person on the planet. But the thought gives me the shivers. I do like a comedy special. If someone else puts it on. They are never my own choice, but I like some stand-up.
Of course I do like to laugh. If someone doesn’t make me laugh and/or they don’t enjoy with my humor, if we can’t be playful together chances are we aren’t all too close. Some of my favorite people are hilarious.
This weekend I was at dinner with friends from college. Close friends that I still see quite regularly. While we were there, another person that had also gone to USC came over and said hello to two of the gals, and introduced himself to me and the other. After dinner, there was the requisite group text about having a great time, plus the following:
T: I’m still laughing to myself about 'Joe’ being like “yeah we went to college together” and then us being like “yeah…we all did.”
Me: And then my asshole response to make up for it. I need to work on that.
T: If you start working on that I’m not reading your blog. Sounds boring.
And in that moment, I didn’t quite know how to say, “it probably is.”
Yes, my voice here feels like me. If you know me, I am sure you can hear my tone and intonation and rambles. But much of the writing is also a bit earnest. And as much as I doubt funny is ever used about me, I guarantee that earnest has never been said. Yes I like to have conversations that can get into deep topics, and work at the crevices of things - but I also want lightness and fun and some crassness in the mix too.
But if I’m only mildly funny in real life (although quite amusing) … how the hell do you write it?
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