Thursday, October 09, 2008

Laughing when you're not supposed to

Financial meltdowns. Political campaigns. Global warming. Laughter feels like a guilty indulgence. Or is my remorse stemming from the fact that some of the things that have made me laugh the hardest recently may prove offensive?

But share I must. So, if you are easily offended, please stop here and just scroll down to the end of this post to watch the video. For the thicker-skinned, I'm publicly disclosing 3 items which unfailingly tickle me to the core...regardless of how many times I view...and view...and view them....:
  1. This repulsive portrayal of the male fantasy world (watch the Ferrino Mizzoni clip). Why, then, as a female, do I relish watching it? A Rebounder's Delight (credit to my friend Amit - he's really quite talented don't you think??).
  2. This deliciously funny satire of Linden Labs' bizarre yet incomprehensibly popular Second Life virtual world. Don't get me started on how weird it is. I feel free saying this because all Second Lifers are IN Second Life and quite unlikely to be reading this "real" life blog. Of course, that means you readers out here in the real world have likely never ventured in to Second Life and will likely miss the humor... I personally only have because I interviewed there (I swear!).
  3. This I PRAY soon-to-be dated depiction of Sarah Palin's Facebook page. Every detail is exquisite.
  4. ADDENDUM FROM 8/3/09 (couldn't post as a video clip due to NBC litigiousness): http://www.tmz.com/2009/05/10/justin-timberlake-mother-lover/
I thank God that the human species has been specially endowed not only with reason, but with humor. I also believe that, when we get to those infamous "ledge" moments, comedy can kick in beyond our control, overtaking us as an evolutionary survival mechanism.

Such subsummation by laughter is most perfectly depicted in one of my favorite scenes, appropriately (given this electoral season we find ourselves in) from "The Candidate"...if you have ADD, fast-forward to :45:


1 comments:

Anna said...

ha ha ha!!!! i can't believe you linked amit's commercial! this was such a drama. i threw an absolute fit over the script at the time (which called for five blondes in bed with an indian guy) - enumerating all the practical and obvious reasons why it will ONLY ever exist in the minds of those bottom-dwelling sleazeballs, and lamenting the racial stereotyping of western women in this country. amit was already signed on, so we gave about a dozen alternatives of good variations on the script. all were rejected. so he cast mostly nationality-inspecific brunettes. and the guy is brazilian. i took enough satisfaction in it that i can now at least laugh at the expense of the louse who came up with the idea in the first place, and admire the quality of the piece. after all, it IS such a good-looking film! (but lesson learned. read the script first. :D)