Comments on: Defining “Funny” http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/ Parenting, Politics and News for the Perfectly Challenged Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:19:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Michelle http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-119701 Michelle Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:45:54 +0000 http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-119701 The responses left by everyone pretty much reinforce the post. The fact that men are dressing down and being silly is, indeed, an indication that we see women as having less power. All of you seemingly want to deny that and in doing so mirror the views of society. We do not want to recognize that we inherently assume that men are too good for that. The crack about Prince, a musician that is slight and diminutive in stature, is also another good indicator of how if a man does not meet the standards of masculinity we ridicule him by calling him a woman... you basically made the point the poster was making. The responses left by everyone pretty much reinforce the post. The fact that men are dressing down and being silly is, indeed, an indication that we see women as having less power. All of you seemingly want to deny that and in doing so mirror the views of society. We do not want to recognize that we inherently assume that men are too good for that. The crack about Prince, a musician that is slight and diminutive in stature, is also another good indicator of how if a man does not meet the standards of masculinity we ridicule him by calling him a woman… you basically made the point the poster was making.

]]> By: Jessica Carlson http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3407 Jessica Carlson Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:44:32 +0000 http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3407 Nils Ling, you said, "A woman dressed as a man is . well … Prince." Major LOL to that!!! Also, I think it's socially acceptable for a woman to dress like a man, but not socially acceptable for a man to dress like a woman. It's considered ridiculous and absurd and laughter ensues. So feminists ought to be championing that, no? Nils Ling, you said, “A woman dressed as a man is . well … Prince.”

Major LOL to that!!!

Also, I think it’s socially acceptable for a woman to dress like a man, but not socially acceptable for a man to dress like a woman. It’s considered ridiculous and absurd and laughter ensues. So feminists ought to be championing that, no?

]]> By: Nils Ling http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3404 Nils Ling Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:14:10 +0000 http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3404 I will always remember a New Yorker cartoon that had a guy at a counter and the person behind it saying "We don't have a "Humour" section. This is a feminist bookstore." I don't have a preference for one gender or another when it comes to who makes me laugh. I'm as amused by women as by men. The sheer weight of numbers dictates that men will be well represented when it comes to stand-up comedy, but women have always been right in there. Why is a man dressed as a woman more amusing than a woman dressed as a man? I think it has less to do with sexual politics or economics than with the sheer silliness. Rather than pain or sorrow mor anger, the real wellspring of humour is "superiority". We laugh at that which makes us feel superior - smarter, less unfortunate, more apt in social settings. A man dressed as a woman is funny because ... well, he's so frigging ugly. We love that. A woman dressed as a man is . well ... Prince. That is my theory. Which is mine, and mine alone. And belongs to me. Ahem. Ahem-hem-hem. (obscure monty Python "woman dressed as man" reference.) I will always remember a New Yorker cartoon that had a guy at a counter and the person behind it saying “We don’t have a “Humour” section. This is a feminist bookstore.”

I don’t have a preference for one gender or another when it comes to who makes me laugh. I’m as amused by women as by men. The sheer weight of numbers dictates that men will be well represented when it comes to stand-up comedy, but women have always been right in there.

Why is a man dressed as a woman more amusing than a woman dressed as a man? I think it has less to do with sexual politics or economics than with the sheer silliness. Rather than pain or sorrow mor anger, the real wellspring of humour is “superiority”. We laugh at that which makes us feel superior - smarter, less unfortunate, more apt in social settings. A man dressed as a woman is funny because … well, he’s so frigging ugly. We love that.

A woman dressed as a man is . well … Prince.

That is my theory. Which is mine, and mine alone. And belongs to me. Ahem. Ahem-hem-hem.

(obscure monty Python “woman dressed as man” reference.)

]]> By: TB http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3391 TB Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:33:11 +0000 http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3391 The biological reason is that the female needs to blend into the environment to protect the offspring. Pretty telling, no? The biological reason is that the female needs to blend into the environment to protect the offspring.
Pretty telling, no?

]]> By: Cristina http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3379 Cristina Thu, 28 Sep 2006 06:43:14 +0000 http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3379 I've noticed that most stand-ups are very crass (including the women) even if their TV shows are "family-friendly". Maybe it took women longer to break into stand-up because they didn't feel comfortable delivering "crass" material in stand-up routines until more recently. This is just a wild guess. I'm sure others would disagree. I’ve noticed that most stand-ups are very crass (including the women) even if their TV shows are “family-friendly”. Maybe it took women longer to break into stand-up because they didn’t feel comfortable delivering “crass” material in stand-up routines until more recently. This is just a wild guess. I’m sure others would disagree.

]]> By: ortizzle http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3375 ortizzle Thu, 28 Sep 2006 03:37:37 +0000 http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3375 Regarding men dressing like women vs. women dressing like men: I think part of the reason for the imbalance which makes the male situation inherently funnier than the female situation might lie with the fact that women *do* wear pants/trousers as an accepted part of their attire, whereas men do not normally sport a skirt, except for perhaps isolated groups of inebriated Scots on designated festive occasions http://tinyurl.com/p29zl. Note to Jessica: I don’t think it’s a sign of old age that you remember this from high school. Trust me, I never even heard of it in my high school days or even before. *That fact,* I am afraid, is truly a sign of old age :-) Regarding men dressing like women vs. women dressing like men: I think part of the reason for the imbalance which makes the male situation inherently funnier than the female situation might lie with the fact that women *do* wear pants/trousers as an accepted part of their attire, whereas men do not normally sport a skirt, except for perhaps isolated groups of inebriated Scots on designated festive occasions http://tinyurl.com/p29zl.

Note to Jessica: I don’t think it’s a sign of old age that you remember this from high school. Trust me, I never even heard of it in my high school days or even before. *That fact,* I am afraid, is truly a sign of old age :-)

]]> By: Jessica Carlson http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3369 Jessica Carlson Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:27:18 +0000 http://blog.imperfectparent.com/2006/09/26/defining-funny/#comment-3369 Are you talking stand-up comedians or just comedic actors? I think that more men probably go into stand-up than women do, although there are some really talented, female comedians out there. Rosanne Barr, Ellen Degeneres, Kathy Griffith are a few that come to mind, but it's taken some pretty ballsy women to break into it. I think it used to be a primarily male dominated field and now women have to be really good to get noticed. Too funny about the Togas. That brings me back. Have kids always done that are is it just a sign of old age that I remember this from highschool? Are you talking stand-up comedians or just comedic actors? I think that more men probably go into stand-up than women do, although there are some really talented, female comedians out there. Rosanne Barr, Ellen Degeneres, Kathy Griffith are a few that come to mind, but it’s taken some pretty ballsy women to break into it. I think it used to be a primarily male dominated field and now women have to be really good to get noticed.

Too funny about the Togas. That brings me back. Have kids always done that are is it just a sign of old age that I remember this from highschool?

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