Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about jokes and humor. (What a bunch of chuckleheads!)
The philosophical underpinnings of humor (2:01)
Music bumper from by “The Corner of Sacco and Vanzetti” by Shibboleth (11:20)
Categories of humor (11:57)
Song: “Inside Joke,” by Little Thom (22:51)
Rude word of the week: “bombing” (or shall we say, this segment is bombing this week?) (27:23)
Music bumper from “Make Me Understand,” by Matt Thorpe (29:31)
What makes something funny? Perspective and delivery (30:12)
Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
Theme music by Kick the Cat
time: 36:12
size: 24.9 Mb
rating: PG-13 (We discuss some provocative sexual and religious aspects of joke humor, and our song has a few mildly rude words.)
I was thinking right off the bat about an onomatpoetic device similar to the “chirping crickets” bad joke/sound of silence gag. It is the “game show failure sound cue.” It’s almost like an orchestrated exhale [even if canned] in the televised version, but after a bad joke it can almost transform an unfunny situation to one that is comically satisfactory.
I think the manner of decending tones is a proprietary choice, where some may desire to use “doohs,” whereas I employ more of a “waah.”
I guess, there’s always the foghorn option, but that seems like it’s from the “Let’s Make a Deal” generation, and I’m much more of a “The Price is Right” gent.
Here’s a link to a WAV of the Price is Right “you lose” sound:
http://www.foundrymusic.com/opieanthony/displaymedia.cfm/id/9764/div/opieanthony/media_search/LATEST/LATEST/all/page/download_Price_Is_Right____You_Lose__audio.html
The British Comedian Vic Reeves, in his gameshow ‘Shooting Stars” used to tell a joke in the middle of the show that was intentionally awful. His co-host would beg him to stop, but he carried right on. The “punchline” always provoked silence. The other guests would look embarressed, stare at their feet. Vic was mortified. The sound of a desert wind would gradually rise, and the distant chime of church bells. A tumbleweed would blow across the set. Then things would continue as if nothing had happened. It got more extreme each week, until it was far funnier than any joke, and the guests would have to fight to keep up the “not-funny” pretence.
Perhaps you had to be there.
When I talk to my sister on the telephone and happen to say something funny or wry, that in her opinion is neither, she’ll respond with pin-drop silence, then patiently wait for my schtick: “Is this thing on?” I usually crack up before I say it, because now the joke to me is to make her wait for my response.
When I first heard Tom Lehrer’s “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” on a Dr. Demento Anniversary release by Rhino, I enjoyed him, but it wasn’t until college (I’m 24 now) that I really fell for his wordplay (e.g. “I Got it from Agnes”, “I Hold Your Hand in Mine”) and had enough of a frame of reference to appreciate his cultural references (especially his nuclear proliferation songs).
Now that I’m living in Boston, and listen to his recordings pretty regularly, I can’t help but sing to myself his song about the ‘curious property’ of the stations on the red line every time I’m on the subway. Though, sadly, they’ve since renamed “Washington” to “Downtown Crossing”, and the initialism thus created no longer evokes Mr. Lehrer’s salivary imagery quite so easily.
For those who haven’t heard the song, the order of the stations is as follows:
_H_arvard
_C_entral
_K_endall
_C_harles
_P_ark
_W_ashington
“… which is just about what Boston means to me”
Is it just me, or have I heard that “Inside Joke” song before? It seems to have a familiar melody.
Happy nerding!
Is it fair to say that some poetry is “fustian?” I especially don’t like that spoken word stuff. I’ve never really been able to fully articulate why. But, after listening to this edition, I feel it’s because it sounds too fustian, too bombastic. It’s like the speaker thinks he’s saying something really profound, but to me, it just sounds like gibberish.
Hey friends,
I am new here, so I don’t know. this is number 71 for jokes.
Is there the 70th edition, the number 70 for jokes?
I await the answer..
thanks in advance