[ExI] The Dalai Lama on Technological Change [Turin, 20071216] - YouTube

[spike]

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> >
> > > ommm at dalailama.commm
> >
> > 'Humor develops from aggression caused by male hormones.'
> > More here: http://www.physorg.com/news117445620.html
> 
> 
> No way.  I was a smartass long before puberty.  I didn't get any funnier
> when the hormone fairy showed up.  I cracked people up back then, it was a
> hoot.  It was actually easier before the hormones; being really tiny, I
> was a *cute* smartass.
> 
> spike


Have you ever seen a little kid parody an adult?  It is funny as all hell,
especially if the kid is good at it.

I saw the article and realized what the professor is referring to is
attempted comedy; it really isn't comedy as I understand it.  It is really
aggression thinly veiled as apparent humor, such as put-down "humor."

In my mind, real comedy is restricted to that which makes people laugh.  It
is strictly entertainment only, light hearted stuff, the only *real* comedy.
Making fun of Taliban for instance isn't real comedy, but rather veiled
political commentary, like political cartooning isn't the same thing as one
sees in the comics section of the local newspaper.  Put down humor is false
comedy.  

For real comedy, self put-downs work really well, any way in which one makes
oneself appear to be silly or stupid.  To me the best comedy is a well
constructed parody, where the listener isn't sure if the speaker is
incredibly crazy or is a genius (there is fine line there.)  A well
constructed parody will fool a lot of people.  Consider for instance, those
of you old enough, All In The Family.  Two main characters, Archie Bunker
and the Meathead, were both silly fools, parodies of the political right and
left, but both had some excellent points once the laughter stopped.

I see true comedy is much more closely related to inner sadness than male
aggression, as is sometimes hinted in the character of the sad clown, or as
seen in (the genius comic) Red Skelton's Clem Kadiddlehopper.

spike
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