Humor, The Last Frontier in the Man vs. Woman
This divide became eminently clear while watching television with my husband the other day. I never really paid much attention to it, but then "BAM!" Crystal clear. We were both watching Two and Half Men, the ½ hour comedy with Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer when I finally noticed. This particular episode focused around bodily functions, of all sorts. Now this is the kind of subject that guys find hysterical, why I have no idea, but women just sit there and shake their heads. That's not funny.
I know all the guys have heard that line once or twice or a thousand times. Really, body humor is mildly humorous when you're in fourth grade if you're a girl(remember armpit farts?), but after that- ah, no. Why is this? Do men lack bodily function control and thus always find this amusing? Or are they perhaps overgrown fourth graders? It's a mystery to us women, but a good joke about bowel movements and passing gas is sure to garner at least a chuckle.
On the other hand, my uncontrolled laughter is reserved for stupid actions that result in pain. There are several examples of this, but I will restrain myself to only a couple. There was a great commercial involving two men, a ladder, a garbage can, and a beehive. Heck it's funny without the imagery. The first guy is on the ladder holding up a pair of scissors about to cut the hive while the other is on the ground holding the lid to the garbage can. The first guy says to the effect, you're gonna have to be quick with the lid when it drops in. Just then the ladder tips and the first guy grabs hold of the beehive rather than fall. Now that's funny. The same insurance company ran a second one involving house painting and repelling down off the roof- very funny, but not as good as the beehive. I actually fell off the sofa laughing at the first one. The second one is Takeshi's Castle. Contestants on Japanese games show getting clobbered by either running into walls they thought were paper doors or leaping across Styrofoam lily pads and then crashing into a solid concrete one is funny. The link above has a highlight video.
In the end I realize there is no reconciling this, or bridging the divide. Humor truly is the last frontier in interpersonal relations. I still think there should have been a disclaimer in those vows. To have and to hold, but by no means do I have to sit through a moronic sitcom with you.
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Comments: 21
Great article, Viv.
JRB, the pride is another matter all together. My farts are the loudest, I can burp the whole alphabet- TWICE! What is that all about?
Pat and Sia, it truly is one of the divergent forces in gender relations. Maybe it's genetic? Oh Jamie......... Maybe the one missing leg on that Y chromosome has mature humor coded on it.
Meanwhile thanks for posting to Gather Writing Essentials: Humor Monday. This article has been included with it's link in Humor Monday's Battle of the Sexes Update.
To have and to hold, but by no means do I have to sit through a moronic sitcom with you. Pretty soon everyone will be including this much-needed disclaimer.
Dale, John seemed to be alluding in his summary article that my sense of humor is not normal female humor. Be it as it may, I look a good "Whack", especially when someone is responsible for it themselves. Seems like appropriate feedback for stupid ideas.
Thanks Pat B., I really do think some of the vows are outdated and could use some modernizing. Perhaps the subject of a new Humor article? Hmm.....
Fun article, Vivian. And thanks for commenting recently on my sailing article.
Barbary, I loved the article. Chilly water like I said, but I love sailing.
Sheila, don't use me as a metric for American. I was raised in the Caribbean and have lived in England for a time. I don't think I fit the norms, if you know what I mean.