Comedy

Do you know what the best kind of comedy there is? Some people will say puns are, because they're witty. Those people are idiots. Others will say sarcasm. But that gets old after a while. According to the comedians on TV, sexual comedy is the funniest. That's clearly not the answer, though. If it stops being funny when your grandma walks in the room, how funny can it be?

To me, the greatest form of comedy is none other than physical comedy. It's universal! Kids laugh when you stub your toe and dance around teaching them new words. People who don't even speak your language will undoubtedly laugh when you get bonked over the head with a frying pan. Take a look at 'America's Funniest Home Videos'. Every show has a segment of guys getting hit in the balls.

Why is it so funny to laugh at other people's misfortunes? Why is it that I will go to a skateboard park just to watch people fall? Why is it always tough to hold in your laughter when your friend gets electrocuted? C'mon! I know it isn't just me that finds this stuff funny. Think about it... You're sitting at the dinner table, eating some Shepard's Pie. Sally takes a drink. As she swallows, and bit of her water goes down the wrong pipe. Suddenly she starts coughing uncontrollably. Between coughs you can hear a bit of a gurgle and the odd burp. The rest of the water in her mouth comes splashing out all over her food as she continues to cough. Soon she's dry coughing with a little string of slobber hanging down into her plate. Sally thinks she's dying. Everyone else at the table thinks it's hilarious. You must find this funny. I always get loads of laughs when I do this gag. Of course, I never do it on purpose, but that's besides the point.

Now that I've convinced you that physical comedy is funny, let me tell you about my favorite part of each day. The ride home from work. Each day at 4 pm, the office staff from our mine file out of the building and onto a blue and white prison bus. Since most people wake up at 5 am each morning, they are quite ready for a nap during the ride home. I never sleep in vehicles any more because I'm too scared the driver will fall asleep (thanks dad). So, while sitting bored for the 25 minute drive home, I watch people as they nod off to sleep. The exciting ones to watch are the people who sit fully upright in their seats and sleep. As they sleep their heads bob back and forth as the speed of the bus changes. The best part of the drive is when we reach the switchbacks near the bottom of the mountain. The bus turns corners so sharply that those upright sleepers with the bobbing heads suddenly get their head smashed against the window. They wake up in a panic wondering what in the world could be happening. Then they rub their head and glare at the window for a while. I can't help but laugh to myself every time this happens. It's even funnier when it happens to the same person multiple times. Some people just never learn!