The Ghost of Guffaws Past

On Saturday, before and after our wonderful show "Mass Recall" premiered (the experience of which I will write about later when our run ends and I have enough distance) some of us were talking about what we find funny which, interestingly enough, is not what we have always found funny. I myself remembered a time (about two years in my life approximately, beginning of high school) when I found the Kids in the Hall to be the funniest thing I had ever seen. Guy with a cabbage for a head? Hilarity! Guy dressed as a girl caught in flagrante with a guy dressed as a guy? On a kitchen table no less? How subversive! Man dressed as a chicken whose catch line is "gotta get laid"? Be still, my heart.

A few years back, I tried watching some of their stuff on late night Comedy Central and was horrified. I don't think I laughed once, or maybe did but out of politeness despite the fact that none of the Kids themselves were around to care. The show suddenly seemed desperately unfunny and it made me a little maudlin actually. It was like having a crush on someone for years and then running into them on the street and realizing they smelled bad and had lost all their teeth.

But there are a number of people, shows, and bits that endure. We all know this. What I'm not sure we all know is what that special quality is that makes a comedic entity successful in the long-term. I guess it has to do at least partly with connecting to a part of humanity that is also enduring--or it's something so new and groundbreaking that it becomes unforgettable.

For me, what I've found enduring is certainly a matter of my personal preference but I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up on other people's lists as well:

1. Frasier--which I've adored since 1993
2. Chris Rock's "Bring the Pain"--loved since 1996
3. Fawlty Towers--loved since I was a little kid, maybe the late 80's?
4. The Simpsons--yeah, I still think they're funny...since the late 80's as well
5. The movie "Sneakers"...can't explain that one except that I'm a huge geek
6. Arrested Development--which will probably be one of my favorite shows until my dentures turn green
7. Three's Company--zany and dumb and probably my first favorite t.v. show (side note, my first crush was on John Ritter...I was about 5)
8. Anything Mel Brooks (History of the World Part 1, Blazing Saddles, and Spaceballs are standouts)
9. Airplane! the movie is still a delight...standout moment for me is the bouncing heart...clip below, around 6:05...I wish I could tell you why I love that part.







10. My mom tells me I was a huge Eddie Murphy fan...I'm assuming she's not talking about "Raw". But I would agree, I still find Eddie Murphy ingenious.

There is of course much much more. But to me, I wonder what it is about these items that makes them classics (in my opinion anyway). One could argue that its the subject matter that endures, but I don't agree because execution is such a major part of it. Eddie Murphy's "Beverly Hills Cop" doesn't really deal with a subject that is particularly deep but Axel Foley is so charismatic and to some degree relatable that he makes the movie work.

Anyway, I'm not going to come up with anything even remotely new or intelligent about this topic, but it's something to consider as I ponder writing idiotic sketches about "crackberries" and trixies and other random stupid things. Maybe there's a comedic ideal to aspire to. Or maybe I need to buy some charisma.