What's the big deal with Aaron Sloper?

Sorry, this isn't a post about Aaron. You will find a plethora of these if you mine the blogs of most Student Lifers. If you don't know Aaron Sloper, count yourself lucky for now, particularly if you live in Logan. If you are Ryan Denny, keep your Logan comments to yourself.

Today's topic of conversation (for me anyway), unlike the last two will be light hearted and hopefully a tad witty (if you read it with the right frame of mind). It comes from the quote I read today: "Comedy is not pretty" - Steve Martin (that is likely to pop up as a tip of the day sometime soon).

It's true though. No one drools over the comedians of our day and age. Adam Sandler may be popular, but he's no teenage heart throb (one word or two?). There also would appear to be a distinct lack of female comedians. I have something to say to the women of the world: Lighten up!! That needed to be said.

With all respect to my fellow women, I know it's difficult to be happy and chirpy all the time, but to be honest, PMS is only once a month, bad hair days only last 24 hours, and if we stopped wearing pantyhose, they'd never get holes in them again. A couple of weeks ago I found it disturbing to discover how little I laugh. Maybe I've made a habit of surpressing my somewhat exuberant cackle because no doubt some people find it uncomfortable when a person displays such unrestrained joy. Some people are just a little dull. But I digress.

A few weeks ago I recieved some unfavourable news and it caused me to draw inwards like I so often used to when I was younger. I used to enjoy being moody and locked away. Somehow being trapped made me feel released. Not anymore. I have moved on from my childish "emo" tendencies ("emo" wasn't a word when I started high school. I sound so old), and no longer get any joy from being locked up. Instead I wanted nothing more than to laugh. It really is the best medicine. The moment I was feeling upset, I wanted to laugh. I'd watch funny tv shows, I'd listen to funny music (God Bless Joel Hockey, very, very richly!!), I'd read funny books. But I found if there's nothing around to make you laugh, make yourself laugh. Look up, at the ceiling, the sky, whatever is above you. If you stare upwards long enough, you'll find something to laugh about.

Usually you'll start laughing because you think of something funny, or because you realise how funny you are for staring straight up. If all that fails, remind yourself that I spent 3 days this week looking after a crying 4 month old that was really, really uncute and has the worst case of halitosis I have ever encountered. And it slobbered. It kind of reminded me of the baby on the bus in the episode of Invader Zim where they get lost.

Getting back to Steve Martin's quote. I think comedy is unpretty in order for us to laugh harder. You can't laugh at something you're in awe of. Like when Da Vinci drew that perfect circle, no one was laughing at it. Perfection isn't funny. Mishaps are funny. Bad decisions are funny. Overestimating your ability and failing is funny. You can't fall off a stool, land gracefully and then expect to get a laugh out it. You have to fall from a great height, arms and legs flaily, exclaiming something along the lines of "AAAAAAAAAAARGGGHH" and then land with a satisfying, but not bone crushing, thud. That's how to get a laugh. Believe me, I've tried. That's why God made me with a billion imperfections. I can raise a laugh out of that. And hearing other people laugh fills me with laughter and happiness.

Laughter heals wounds, it improves your immune system, it strengthens your laugh muscles and 5 minutes of laughter is they same as a 25 minute cardiovascular workout. Laughter doesn't cost anything, doesn't make you gain weight and won't make anyone pregnant. Sure you might snort, but that's probably the only downside to a good long laugh. That, and all those people who feel uncomfotable because you're so happy...

So share your jokes, share your sense of humour, be silly, make me laugh, make you laugh, add your own philosophies and observations. It would make my day.