Sandy Supposes....

Humour Has An 'O'

PROMPT July 15th

Describe your sense of humor. Is it dark, sarcastic, slapstick, silly, or something else? Do you have any favorite comedians? What always makes you laugh?

         

         

         

         

Sorry, but I'm Canadian and it's humour with an 'o.' We're an inclusive country and as such we recognize that vowel and display it proudly. It's like the French 'amour,' or 'toujour.' We're all about the laughter and love.

         Speaking of laughter, there are so many delightful words to describe it. Snort, snicker, chortle, guffaw, giggle, titter, tee-hee, bray, and more. Like a yawn, a laugh is contagious. We recognize it and join in.

         My sense of humour is all of the above. If I can squeeze out a side-splitting, gasping laugh, I will. Puns and word play tickle my funny bone. Slapstick and physical fun spark incredulity. The inane, the ridiculous, the silly, the sarcastic, the unexpected, the ironic all invoke thigh-slapping glee.

         My personal favourites , ( note the presence of that cute 'o' ), list is extensive and I'm always adding to it. With the advent of the internet, I've discovered many comics and television series. There really is a plethora of comedy out there circling the globe. Nobody understands and shares comedy like the British though. It ranges from subtle to bawdy with no apologies.

         As a teenager, I discovered Monty Python and I loved its absurdity. It dared to play with history and turn it on its head. Who else would dream of pairing the bubbly song "Look On The Sunny Side Of Life" with the barbaric practice of nailing people to a wooden cross exposed to the harsh elements? Who else would poke fun at the established history of knights and all their heroic lore? They were portrayed as stubborn men who acted childish. Who else would mimic the custom of collecting the newly plague - deceased in a cart and not checking for a pulse? "I'm not dead yet" is a phrase I use to indicate my current health. Imagine arguing with a poor man that he will be dead soon enough. I cannot see a lush green bush and not recall, "Bring me a shrubbery."

         A few years ago, I stumbled upon this British gem,'The Vicar of Dibley.' The premise begins that a small hamlet, Dibley, is expecting a new minister and the retired one had been a male, so they presume the replacement will undoubtedly be male too. They are flustered when Gerry is Geraldine. This new vicar is everything the older man was not. She is a free spirit who imbibes spirits and speaks her mind. She struggles with the small town sensibilities and its charming, eccentric citizens. One young woman, Alice, is beyond naive. She takes all that she sees and hears literally. Alice does not comprehend Gerry's jokes and she is often mortified and yet fascinated by them. Here is one that Gerry shares with Alice. Gerry is flabbergasted by Alice's 'innocence.' "They've come up with a new low fat communion wafer. It's called I can't believe it's not Jesus." Here is another. Two nuns are driving through Transylvania when a great big vampire jumps on the bonnet. One nun says to the other, "show him your cross." So the nun opens the window and yells, "get off my bonnet you toothy git!"

         To my great delight, I found' A Bit Of Fry And Laurie' to tickle my fancy. Most of us recognize Hugh Laurie as the curmudgeonly, antisocial, brilliant doctor House, but he is foremost a British comedian. With Stephen Fry, he created a series of comedy sketches. In one of them, Fry is a uniformed police officer standing behind a reception counter and he is approached by citizen Laurie. After some pleasantries, Laurie reveals why he has made this appearance. He delivers his tale of woe with sound effects which Fry not only struggles to comprehend, but record in a notebook. The two of them click, snort, whistle and more as they communicate. How did they keep a straight face and their composure?

         Another British series, 'Keeping Up Appearances' is hilarious. Hyacinth Bucket has aspirations of grandeur and she puts on airs. She envisions a life of gentility, but in reality she leads a rather mundane, working-class life. She insists that people pronounce her married name as 'bouquet' the French word for, well, bouquet as in a bundle of flowers. Imagine a surname as common as bucket, how mortifying. She affects an upper class speaking accent, or what she perceives as a posh accent. Hyacinth is a social climber, a wannabe. She hails from a low middle class family who do not share her aspirations of social superiority. In her attempts to elevate her social standing, Hyacinth often creates situations for herself that end poorly. She insists upon inviting the influential to accompany her yachting, but the boat is not at all grand. She and her guests traipse across country with all manner of finery required for an elegant afternoon meal. They lug tablecloths, crystal, china, silverware, bottles of wine, food, deck chairs. Of course, Hyacinth has encouraged the proper yachting attire with fancy hats, heels and gloves. She ends up tipped in the water and dripping in a rowboat oared by the vicar.

         Ah, there are many comedies to entertain me. I miss the ones of my youth. 'Carol Burnett' never failed to make me laugh. 'Laugh In' was a hoot. Sigh, wonderful memories of 'Wayne and Shuster.' Oh, I cannot forget 'The Red Green Show.'

         Canadian comedy is alive and kicking. May I suggest the following television series. SCTV, Just For Laughs, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Baroness Von Sketch, Schitt's Creek, Corner Gas...