Re: Mind's Eye Re: Having a larf? Is humour cruel?

Economics currently thinks money grows on trees - something we were
often told was not the case as children! We still have radio 4 here
in GB - a last bastion of good listening. It's hard to discuss humour
without forgetting to have a laugh. If you try to use audio tapes
teaching under 30s they can't listen - use the same material with
irrelevant video content and they at least keep quiet!
I like long jokes. One can notice, for instance, that a book called
the Human Zoo relied on the notion that apes and monkeys masturbate a
lot in zoos but not in the wild, so given human propensity the zoo
connection is obvious, given the 'Naked Ape'. Sadly, this relied on
rather poor observation in the wild at the time. One can also notice
that male sperm count is falling almost everywhere except Finland.
Masturbation lowers sperm count. The feminist conclusion is that all
men are wankers.

On Feb 7, 7:19 am, Allan H <allanh1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Very Nice,,  wonder where I can get home grown  spaghetti?
> Allan  (".)
>
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> On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 7:45 AM, Don Johnson <daj...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On Sun, Feb 5, 2012 at 3:01 PM, Allan H <allanh1...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> war of the world was written in 1898  the radio broadcast was 1938,,
>
> >> HG Wells wrote it Orson Welles presented it as a radio broadcast it was a
> >> one hour radio play..  turned out to be a great spoof.
>
> >>  I understood what you meant,,  spoofs are extremely hard to write and I
> >> wonder if the art of story telling is not becoming  lost in favor of the
> >> sound bite...  there are many great stories being written today,
>
> >> As I am writing this I am wondering if we are not losing the art of
> >> listening.
> >> Allan
>
> >> Pretty much probably. I believe WOTW(radio broadcast) was a dramatization
> > that went awry. Seems some folks took it seriously. Not meant as a spoof at
> > all just good ol' entertainment. Even had bits at the beginning and before
> > and after commercials telling listeners that it was a dramatization and not
> > real. Which just goes to show folks weren't very good listeners back in '38
> > either.
>
> > The mass joke I like the best was some network TV outfit decided it would
> > be hilarious to have footage of folks cutting down spaghetti from
> > "spaghetti trees" in Italy. Where else but GB could this get pulled off?
> > April Fools joke that fell flat. The folks fooled were NOT amused.
>
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27ugSKW4-QQ
>
> > dj
>
> > dj
>
> >> On Sun, Feb 5, 2012 at 3:57 PM, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> You rather make my point Allan.  I have a feeling the particular
> >>> matter was more about Orson Wells' self-publicity than for real.
> >>> Radio remains in my life as it did with The Goon Show and various
> >>> similar, including the queer innuendo Round the Horn - Beyond Our Ken
> >>> series onto Hitch-hiker.  I still love really simple jokes.  Upstairs
> >>> Downstairs started as quite a political statement before lapsing to
> >>> smaltz rigsy.  I've been taping Borgen - a Danish political thingy - I
> >>> suspect because the Danish actresses  look so good.
>
> >>> On Feb 5, 2:08 pm, rigsy03 <rigs...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>> > 70 is the new 50, Allan, in case you hadn't noticed. :-) Some of us
> >>> > are lucky in health and looks- it's mostly luck.
>
> >>> > On Feb 5, 3:36 am, Allan H <allanh1...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> > > They don't?
> >>> > > What about HG Wells radio presentation of "The War of the Worlds"?
> >>> > > That was nothing but a spoof and from what I understand it effect
> >>> many
> >>> > > parts of the world including  GB.
> >>> > > Allan
>
> >>> > > Oop sorry Neil you were to young to remember that,,  I wonder if
> >>> Rigsy was
> >>> > > listening?
>
> >>> > > On Sun, Feb 5, 2012 at 2:17 AM, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>> > > > My impression is that the spoofs don't get to a lot of people.  I
> >>> > > > agree the individuality bit Molly.  Humour in sit-com had lost it's
> >>> > > > bite until The Office.
>
> >>> > > > On Feb 4, 4:24 pm, Molly <mollyb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>> > > > > there are types of humor that are cruel.  I don't think they are
> >>> fun
> >>> > > > > or funny.  I like the absurd, the little twist of view that does
> >>> not
> >>> > > > > demean, but presents the unexpected in a way that catches us
> >>> off-guard
> >>> > > > > and allows us to witness our individuality (that we often
> >>> mistake for
> >>> > > > > a worldview)
>
> >>> > > > > On Feb 4, 9:22 am, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> > > > > > I  am increasingly concerned by those who seem to expect moral
> >>> > > > > > behaviour in drunken revelry!
>
> >>> > > > > > On Feb 4, 2:02 pm, rigsy03 <rigs...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >>> > > > > > > There are also "insecurities" when giving definitions!
> >>> Satire is
> >>> > > > > > > definitely within the genre of comedy. I was trying to
> >>> stress the
> >>> > > > > > > merry side of humor- funny, as ancient comedy derived from
> >>> phallus
> >>> > > > > > > rites (Dionysus) and  related drunken revels. My first real
> >>> term
> >>> > > > paper
> >>> > > > > > > was on "Lysistrata" (Aristophanes) but I was only 17 so
> >>> probably
> >>> > > > > > > missed most of the gags to the relief of the nun! :-) Maybe
> >>> it's life
> >>> > > > > > > that is cruel at times- we're all in a "nice mess".
>
> >>> > > > > > > On Feb 3, 11:29 am, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> > > > > > > > Perhaps only in the way we all have insecurities rigsy - I
> >>> find I
> >>> > > > want
> >>> > > > > > > > to work as though there is some purpose but can broadly
> >>> cope with
> >>> > > > the
> >>> > > > > > > > parochialism of it all with something of a laugh at 'mice
> >>> and men'.
> >>> > > > > > > > Part of the trick is to do with recognising statements
> >>> like 'the
> >>> > > > > > > > freedom of the individual' are structured under wider
> >>> practice like
> >>> > > > > > > > secular democracy and playing the hand you get.
> >>> > > > > > > > I spent some time years ago doing evaluation research
> >>> (usually into
> >>> > > > > > > > management development).  It's generally useless stuff any
> >>> > > > scientist
> >>> > > > > > > > would junk pretty quickly - whatever one focuses on soon
> >>> loses its
> >>> > > > > > > > meaning in wider society and tends to have been defined
> >>> itself in
> >>> > > > our
> >>> > > > > > > > habits and Idols.  If education works at all it has to be
> >>> defined
> >>> > > > in
> >>> > > > > > > > terms of what we are, and general society and its junk are
> >>> very
> >>> > > > > > > > depressing.  We have clearly not produced a widely
> >>> rational Demos!
> >>> > > > > > > > Humour is a bit of a way in to some of this, yet is also a
> >>> means to
> >>> > > > > > > > ignore it and reinforce xenophobia.
> >>> > > > > > > > There should be insecurity in thinking - for many of the
> >>> great
> >>> > > > social
> >>> > > > > > > > ideas have been utterly flawed.  The question is less to
> >>> do with
> >>> > > > > > > > incredulity towards the grand-narratives (the current worst
> >>> > > > obviously
> >>> > > > > > > > being unbridled wealth creation) and more with recognising
> >>> what we
> >>> > > > > > > > have become and how this needs to change without promises
> >>> of
> >>> > > > > > > > salvation.  I find this hard enough to bear to need a few
> >>> 'larfs'!
>
> >>> > > > > > > > On Feb 3, 12:08 pm, rigsy03 <rigs...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >>> > > > > > > > > Out of the foggy memory- yes, I think Aristotle's
> >>> treatment of
> >>> > > > comedy
> >>> > > > > > > > > was lost...might have burned in the fire at the
> >>> Alexandrian
> >>> > > > library
> >>> > > > > > > > > (?)- heaven only knows what was lost in that sad event-
> >>> the cure
> >>> > > > for
> >>> > > > > > > > > the common cold?//The Papacy set a bad example but
> >>> doesn't
> >>> > > > democracy/
> >>> > > > > > > > > free enterprise do the same?// You don't seem insecure
> >>> to me.
>
> >>> > > > > > > > > On Feb 2, 7:49 am, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> > > > > > > > > > "Four Lions" is a brilliant piece mocking Islamic
> >>> terrorism
> >>> > > > from all
> >>> > > > > > > > > > sides.  I rather like teasing humour and farce.  I
> >>> might
> >>> > > > almost be
> >>> > > > > > > > > > your mocking friend - I'm insecure enough at times!
> >>>  Umbero
> >>> > > > Eco (Name
> >>> > > > > > > > > > of the Rose) had the very existence of an Aristotle
> >>> text on
> >>> > > > humour as
> >>> > > > > > > > > > a threat to the Church.  Our current religion is in
> >>> need to
> >>> > > > mockery.
> >>> > > > > > > > > > A system that encourages a vastly wealthy class hardly
> >>> sounds
> >>> > > > like a
> >>> > > > > > > > > > starting point for reasonable equality of opportunity!
> >>>  Etc.
>
> >>> > > > > > > > > > On Feb 2, 12:11 pm, rigsy03 <rigs...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > Satire is meant to bite- so it's not truly comedy,
> >>> i.e.
> >>> > > > scorn versus
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > merriement. Yes- I heard ethnic, racial, sexist jokes
> >>> > > > growing up but
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > they were not mean-spirited then political
> >>> correctness
> >>> > > > pounced though
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > now the style in political and social humor is
> >>> > > > mockery>distain/
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > contempt. I do like slapstick- another great was Sid
> >>> Ceasar-
> >>> > > > also Mel
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > Brooks  maybe Jewish humor derives from their tragic
> >>> > > > history, in part.
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > As for Kierkegaard, I might have smiled if I could
> >>> wade
> >>> > > > through his
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > style- maybe I was not fair with K. One friend still
> >>> reminds
> >>> > > > me of
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > doing the right thing and is grateful that when a
> >>> mutual
> >>> > > > "friend"
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > thought the behavior of the "ex" in a messy divorce
> >>> was
> >>> > > > hysterically
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > funny I said this is her life and it is not funny at
> >>> all-
> >>> > > > there is a
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > lot of cruelty found in the "nicest" places
> >>> sometimes.
> >>> > > > Another ex-
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > friend is a great mocker- takes on accents and puts
> >>> on a
> >>> > > > little show
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > to illustrate her superiority over others and I
> >>> don't doubt
> >>> > > > I am
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > another on her list. But these type are just cruel
> >>> and
> >>> > > > insecure.
>
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > On Feb 1, 8:42 am, archytas <nwte...@gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
>
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > > My child hood was littered with jokes.  How do you
> >>> keep an
> >>> > > > Irishman
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > > busy all day - put him in a barrel and tell him to
> >>> > > > micturate in the
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > > corner.  The Germans bombed our chip shop and had
> >>> no sense
> >>> > > > of humour.
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > > In France, the Belgians are the butt or "Irish"
> >>>  jokes;
> >>> > > > elsewhere the
> >>> > > > > > > > > > > > Poles.  Jokes often rely on 'taking the
>
> ...
>
> read more »

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