This week: Comedy of the Past Edited by: Robert Waltz  
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When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.
—Rodney Dangerfield
The holy passion of friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.
—Mark Twain
My advice to you is get married: If you find a good wife you’ll be happy; if not, you’ll become a philosopher.
—Socrates |
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Just like people, jokes can get old, and stop being funny. We know this, and yet we repeat the jokes anyway, when we want to be annoying and have run out of material for puns.
But, like bell-bottom jeans, sometimes old jokes come back into fashion, at least for a blessedly short while.
It's true that some jokes age better than others. Comedy often has to be timely; that is, it references a shared or easily understood experience, and loses its punch when that experience is forgotten. For example, while older people might get a laugh out of a joke about a dial-up modem, those who grew up with DSL, cable, and fiber internet just won't get the reference, and your joke could fall flat. And if your joke involves a telegraph machine, well... good luck.
Some comedy is timeless, or at least long-lasting. The quotes up there  are examples. There's still humor in them, even though they're from the 20th century, 19th century, and about the time I was born, respectively. (In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not convinced of the authenticity of the Socrates quote.)
If that's not convincing enough, take a look at Shakespeare. Much of his comedy is still relatable today, such as the last scene of Romeo and Juliet. "But Waltz, that play is a tragedy, not a comedy." No, it's definitely a comedy. You can tell by the melodrama.
To be sure, some old comedy just doesn't work today, such as political jokes from the Eisenhower administration. In this way, they might as well be jokes from another culture, lost in translation. But even the non-relatable jokes have their place, because in order to find out why it was a joke, you have to learn the historical context. It may not be funny to you after that, because explaining a joke is the surest way to thwart its ability to induce laughter, but hey—you've learned something you might not have bothered to learn but for the joke.
Some jokes deserve to be relegated to the dustbin of history, such as racist or sexist attempts at humor. Just because blackface was a thing a hundred or so years ago doesn't mean we can tolerate it now (or should have tolerated it then). But don't make the mistake of dismissing a funny bit just because it's from a different time.
Even if you risk learning something from it. |
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Last time, in "The Weather" , I discussed... well, come on, it's right there in the title.
Beholden  : Thank you very much for including my piece, A Stray Fort or Two, among your Editor's Picks.
This also serves as proof that I do actually read Newsletters although I may not always comment. On this occasion, I must admit that I may be related to your father. I, too, am a bit zealous at turning down the thermostat.
Thanks for the comment! Thermostat fights can make for great comedy.
From the early March edition, "Synecdoche" :
227mastodons: I often lime to extend this concepts to verbs using a specific proper noun. Example: I really Mastodoned that one up.
Yep, my friends and I used to assign each others' names to certain actions. "I Waltzed right in" had nothing to do with dancing.
That's it for me for April! See you next month. Until then,
LAUGH ON!!!
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Comedy: April 26, 2023 Issue [#11929]
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