Are You… ‘Funny’?

If I was a comedian, my answer would only confuse

This article was written in response to Keeley Schroder’s April writing challenges. Number three is “Who is your favorite comedian and why?”

Are You… ‘Funny?’

“Are you… ‘funny?’” a guy once asked me. As he said the word “funny,” he made a gesture with his hand where he held it straight out and toggled it back and forth like a see-saw.

“Well, I’m not a comedian,” I said.

In case you didn’t realize, he wasn’t asking about my humor, but if I was gay. This was several years ago and that kind of thing doesn’t happen anymore. I think it’s common enough now that people either don’t want to offend someone by using terms like that or using the “limp wrist” or they just don’t want to know the answer.

In this area, it’s usually the latter.

My Kind of Comedy

If you’ve read many of my articles and stories, you probably realize that I like to use a decent amount of sarcasm. This tends to run in my family and it’s also the type of comedy I like to see on stage.

I love Demetri Martin, Jim Gaffigan, John Mulaney, and Tig Notaro. They all have a somewhat dry sense of humor. Jim Gaffigan can be a little bit animated at times, but he has great comedic timing with his animation. My least favorite types of comics are ones like Dane Cook. He is all over the place and the ADHD-type of comedy isn’t for me.

Some of it’s okay in small doses but after a while, I envision a trap door opening as the comedian falls into a pit where the Rancor is waiting. I can hear Dane Cook’s screams as the monster lifts him to his mouth and then bites his head off. Jabba the Hutt can be heard behind the curtain, laughing. “Heh heh heh.” That’s right, Jabba. I like your taste.

If you don’t get that reference, go watch The Return of the Jedi and then come back and read this article so we can all chuckle together.

Am I funny? I’m pretty sure I am — in every sense of the word.

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I’m only tagging a few people because most people seem to be ignoring the tagging wall — from me, anyway. I may go on a rant in a post. We’ll see, lol.

Adrienne Beaumont, Brett Jenae Tomlin, Denise Kendig, Marlana, MSW, Julia A. Keirns, Karen Schwartz, Autistic Widower ("AJ"), Ravyne Hawke, Harry Hogg, Ruby Noir, Susie Winfield, Ray Day, Pamela Oglesby, Lu Skerdoo, and although Bruce Coulter and Randy Pulley will likely read mine without a reminder, I’ll tag them anyway.