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 |   A third attempt at this blogging business. |
| BCF PROMPT: "Can anything be funny, or are some things off limits? (Extra: Write a story or poem where someone has pushed the limit.)" Good evening y'all...you'd think we were in the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  with the topic of today's prompt, being that it's Friday and we're about to discuss the limits (if there are any) of funny (and if you're not signed up for September's Official 30DBC round, I suggest you do so immediately after reading the rest of what I'm about to say, and see what "Funny Friday" is all about for yourselves).The answer to this prompt is located on a thin line. And on either side of that line are decency and relaxation. The line itself? It's "eventually". Follow me as I attempt to explain. When you really want to enjoy yourself and have a good laugh, normally you're relaxed. It's pretty hard to find the humor in some situations when you're uptight or have a lot of heavy subjects weighin' down on that wrinkly matter inside your skull. You have to be able to kick back in order to let go. I'm not here to tell you how to have a good time, but it's been my experience that that's how these things kinda work. Decency, on the other hand, is sort of the thing that keeps the sides balanced. You want to laugh at peoples' attempts at humor, but you can only go so far before it's "too far", and "funny" becomes "weird", "creepy", or just plain "stupid". And it can be tough sometimes to figure out what the cutoff point is, because everyone's level of tolerance varies. I could tell a joke to a crowd of people and that crowd could be split four different ways: 25% Think it's hilarious. 25% Think it's kinda funny. 25% Think it's kinda stupid. 25% Wish I'd fall down a flight of stairs in a burning building while woodwind versions of One Direction songs play. (Actual percentages may vary...consult your local crowd for details.) "Eventually" is the variable in the whole mix. Why? Because no matter what, eventually everything becomes funny. The biggest example stems from what was also the biggest tragedy in our nation's history, 9/11. The world stopped for what seemed like forever, but eventually it had to start back up...and that meant baseball games were going to be played, jobs were going to be worked, music was gonna be rocked, and comedians were gonna start making people laugh again. I'm not trying personally to make light of a terrible moment in the history of the world, but it's true. Eventually, we were going to get back to being the people we were while doing the things we enjoy. (And the best part of this clip isn't actually in the clip, but it's what Mayor Giuliani said at the end of his monologue about Saturday Night Live not having been funny in years, so why start now...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt94iNX80ZU.} And on a much smaller scale, everyone's lives are filled with those memories of moments where something's happened to them that made them so upset or angry that they vowed never to speak of it again, only to be reminded of it weeks, months, or years later during casual conversations or reminiscing, and much laughter then is shared by all. For me, I could tell you about numerous times that this has happened, but there's no point discussing prior relationships.  One thing I find very helpful in situations where you think you're ok saying certain things is knowing your audience. Understand where the line is, and know what you can say and what you shouldn't say. I made a complete ass out of myself once while working at a drug store trying first to do my job, then by trying to be a little funny. A young lady, maybe within five to ten years of my own age, was standing in front of our enormous wall of batteries. I think everyone should do that someday...go into one of your larger national chain pharmacies, and check out their battery selection. Chances are, it's friggin' huge. That's just one of the things that's wrong with the greatest country on Earth...we have too many fucking batteries in all kinds of shapes and sizes and voltages and colors and stuff. There should be no need, in the 21st of all centuries, to have various types of batteries. Weren't technological advances in science and electronics supposed to take care of this situation by now? (I think this is where I'm supposed to apologize to anyone who works in the "Technology/ Sub-field: Batteries" division.) And in a pharmacy, no less, where the battery department is approximately the same size as a smaller Best Buy, the one place you'd think would carry every single stinkin' battery known to machines all over the world...Best Buy, which has 80,000 copies of Justin Timberlake's new album, but good luck finding a AAA battery or two to test out the remote control for the $1000 television you're thinking of buying. Wow, did I manage to get way off base there. So anyway, this girl was looking gazing at our wall of batteries, and I came by to offer some help because, let's face it, when you're looking for something that's about 1/8"x1/8"x1/16" on a wall that's approximately five feet high and twenty feet across, you're gonna need somebody with a sense of why things are arranged the way they are. I asked her once if she needed anything, and I got no response. Not even a flinch. I asked again, because sometimes I can be a little bit of a mumbles-mouth when I speak...and still, no answer. I stood there, not sure of what to think other than what a fool I must look like. I did that move where you kinda cock your head and lean the upper half of your body in, and your eyebrows raise, because you think somehow that your movements are gonna be louder than your voice, and again, silencio (which, for my Spanish-speaking friends, means "not a damn thing has been said after my attempts at trying to service this chick's needs"). I practically threw my hands up in the air in mock defeat. I inched a little closer, almost to the point of encroaching on her personal space, and made sure I slowly and clearly offered my assistance. I reached up almost directly in front of her to fix a row of batteries hanging on a peg, which managed to get her attention. That's good, because I was starting to wonder if she was one of those people who could fall asleep standing up with their eyes open. She held out her hand and started making what sounded like uncontrollable noises. In her palm was a hearing aid, and her "noises" were actually her trying to ask me if we carried batteries for it. Sometimes when dealing with the general population for so long you take for granted that everyone sounds the same and can speak fluently. And if I had actually been paying attention to where we were standing, I would've seen that we were right by the hearing aid section of the giant wall of batteries. Now, some of you will find that anecdote funny, and some will find it rather pointless, and I'm sure some will probably be offended by my portrayal of the innocent woman. I find it funny now, but I was frustrated, flustered and little put-off at first by the whole entirety of the situation. It's just proof that eventually, everything is funny to someone at some point. MUSICAL BREAK!!  I'm not sure if this is funny in an ironic way given that it's Faith No More covering The Bee Gees, or if it's just a great song. Trust me, this is the least depressing of the songs I could manage to think of.  THE DAILY BOX SCORE:  I have to send a special shout-out to "RAOK Upgrade Brigade Group" for keeping me upgraded for the next couple of months...I really need to be a lot more supportive of this group and all that it does site-wide.30: Days in September, which I mentioned at the top is an Official 30DBC month, and it's shaping up to be a month of champions so far! It's one of the most fun activities I've been a part of in all my years of WDC usage, and I'm looking forward to this upcoming month. (And if entering isn't your thing, might I suggest you try judging it for a week? It's a fun experience, trust me. I've done it, and I enjoyed it.)  I mean, we've all had these moments, right? Put it in the books, folks. Another Friday's been taken care of. If you're somewhere where they're celebrating a long weekend this weekend, enjoy it and be safe. If you're not, you have my permission to pretend it's a long weekend. Peace, it's on me, and GOODNIGHT NOW!! |
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