What's Funny About Being Funny

Open Forum General Discussion
#1

Pax Christi, Everybody!

What do you make of the sense of humor? The other day I was, as I regularly am, engrossed in bizarre Team Fortress 2 Gmod animations and Norm Macdonald clips which I find hilarious, but I’m not exactly sure why that is. A lot of content in that stuff can’t really be called jokes in the traditional sense, so that made me wonder why it’s so hysterical to me, or why anything is funny for that matter.

I started wondering if the laughing response arose with some kind of evolutionary purpose, that is to tell the members of your tribe to rest assured that there isn’t danger after further investigation, which would explain why bait-and-switch and dark humor is often considered funny. But what about irony, or absurdism, or post-irony? Am I thinking about this too hard?

What do you guys think? Is this a futile game to play?

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#2

This touches up on it a bit and can give you some keywords to search. I originally came across this podcast a few years ago working on some posts about horror and comedy often plays with very similar tropes, such as reacting loudly ( screaming or laughing ) because someone finds the self in a unfortunate situation.

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#3

Thanks, I’ll check it out!

#4

Is your username a reference to half-life 2?

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#5

It certainly is!

#6

Nice! I love those classic source games.

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#7

Other animals also laugh besides us. I presume you were aware but sometimes people are not. It shows it’s more than just us or even just primates. Seems to be reserved for as far as I know among mammals that are social. Mice are an example. Maybe some of the birds but maybe it’s just mimicking sounds associated with it. Not sure.

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#8

Laughing Dove, Gull, Owl, Kookaburra, Falcon, and a number of Laughingthrushes are what have that in their names.

Laughing Kookaburra sounds the closest: Laughing Kookaburra - eBird (the first recording).

Other birds sound as if they are expressing somewhat different emotions, like the Green Catbird (a bowerbird, not close to Gray Catbird): Green Catbird - eBird (the second recording).

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#9

Thanks. I’ll definitely listen to them. Until looking it up I am thinking the laughter is just a similarity in sound and not necessarily laughing as if amused or ticklish.

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#10

Speaking of laughter , and my horror side notes, on Hulu they just released “ Fresh “ though it’s been there few a week maybe. It’s a horror comedy written by Lauryn Kahn and directed by Mimi Cave. It’s a bit of slice of life from a woman in the dating scene that steadily grows darker. Really good character development. *not for kids.

It’s essentially a romantic comedy that grows darker and more gruesome until it’s just a full blown horror. Lots of body horror.

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#11

Yes. A further one on sound, vaguely connected to horror is the Common Potoo, alternatively known as the Poor-Me-One, due to its anguished-sounding call. I would imagine that playing Green Catbird calls might provoke some excitement among those unaware of what was actually happening.

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#12

I was thinking @Combine_Advisor was a member of FFA! (Being an oldster misplaced in rural America does stuff to you.)

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#13

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