Can we talk?

Childish Sense of Humor

    Practical jokes are not a sign of maturity. I've done my share when I was younger. But I've never understood why we glorify them. I could never stand Candid Camera when I was young. How could it be entertainment to decieve someone and then laugh at them. More recently Howie Mandel ran one season (thanks to the networks for not continuing it) of trickery. Making fools of people is annoying.

    Now we get these foolish emails, videos that people think are funny. Someone who sometimes sends me serious stuff sent me a video of a guy who sets off firecrackers while his wife is examining a brand new handgun on the patio. Not funny. I also resent the emailer who sends me this trash. Scaring people id mean. There has to be a little evil in us to laugh at that.

    While I'm complaining about humor gone wrong. . .  Jay Leno has gone off the track a little. I suppose it's an attempt to get the younger audience, but it's driving his older devotees away. Mixing video clips with new material to make people look foolish. If you're in high school, ok, you might laugh. But the concept for adults is stupid. And Jay is just too old and gray to pull it off.

    But one more thing that annoys me: When Jay has Mel Gibson on his show, he acts like they're best friends. They talk about doing things together, about family members. But when Mel flips out, Jay is the first to attack him repeatedly. I like good comedians, but I hate the duplicity. You can't disparage your friends like that. It makes you look like a bad person. Or you need to make it clear that you were never close, you only had a staged relationship, and the new behavior is shocking or changes your perception or something that explains your aboutface. Mel's behavior is bad and worthy of jokes, but not from people who acted like his buddies.

      We all need humor, but not at the expense of our own character or values. Humor that comes from making fools of people isn't humorous. Humor that could hurt someone, physically or psychologically, isn't really humor. It can be cruelty wrapped up in the facade of comedy.