[lit-ideas] Re: T'AINT FUNNY, MCGEE

From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 08:55:14 -0500
Seinfeld is funny if one likes to laugh at others, which everyone likes to
do.  When those same jokes are turned on one's self, it's less funny. 
Seinfeld leaves me cringing.  It's a testimonial to the human race that
they can't laugh at something unless it's at someone's expense. The slow
paced, predictable, take-one-scene-and-stretch-it-into-30
minutes-while-insulting-all-the-groups-you-don't-belong-to (like older
people, which everyone will be one day) humor like Seinfeld is plentiful.  
Really funny stuff is rare.  I've never watched South Park.  I did see The
Office twice (on my husband's recommendation), and it was funny the first
time, and the second time it was tiresome (an office romance that went on
and on and on between commercial breaks).  I kind of had the same reaction
to that episode that I had reading Mario Puzo's The Godfather as a kid (18,
19).  By then I guess I had read enough good literature to recognize The
Godfather as low life talk.  It sounded empty and hollow, it was badly
written, the same "'You don't love me.'  'Yes I do love you.'  'No, you
don't, you love her better.'  'I love you and if you don't stop saying I
don't love you I'll have to hit you.'"  Yet it was a runaway best seller
and a movie with sequels.  Maybe the problem is because I don't watch
non-cable channels at all I got away from the almost soap opera slow pace
interspersed with minutes of commercials.  It takes patience to watch that
stuff.  It's definitely an acquired taste, and I don't want to be bothered
acquiring the taste.  Not that I like action either.  Action is like soap
opera with pyrotechnics on fast forward.  Maybe substance is the word I'm
looking for.  Truly, in my opinion, really good humor is rare.  Seinfeld
and Mario Puzo, perfect together. 




> [Original Message]
> From: Mike Geary <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 12/8/2006 12:57:17 AM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] T'AINT FUNNY, MCGEE
>
> Irene and Ritchie admit to not finding Seinfeld funny.  That's funny.  
As 
> in strange, I mean.  I always find it strange when someone doesn't share
the 
> humor I find in something.  Humor seems such an unmediated response to
life 
> that it makes me wonder when not shared if something's the matter with me
or 
> them.  Them, of course.  At least we can all agree on that.  But how
explain 
> their aberrations?  Take my youngest brother for instance.  I thought I
knew 
> him pretty well.  Hell, I changed the little dit's diapers, for Christ's 
> sake, of course I know him.  But just last week he tells me that he and
his 
> wife don't like The Office.  I couldn't have been more shocked if he'd
told 
> me he voted Republican.  What do you mean you don't like it, I demanded. 
> How can you not like it?  We just don't find it funny, he said.   But
then 
> he works in an office, doesn't he?  Yes, he does.  He probably thinks
it's a 
> real documentary.  I think it's the funniest show on TV.  Maybe, just
maybe, 
> even funnier than Seinfeld which I used to think was the funniest show
ever. 
> I also love South Park and The Simpsons.  Surely there's no one alive who 
> doesn't find them funny.  That would not be an aberration that would be
an 
> abomination.
>
>
> Mike Geary
> Memphis
>
>
> If you're old enough to remember the Bob and Ray Show, then you know 
> hilarity.  I used to listen their show on radio in the 50's.  So too the 
> George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and later watched them on TV, also the 
> Jack Benny Show.  All those were wonderfully funny shows.  As a kid I 
> thought they were funny and even more so as an adult. 
>
>
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