by YouTurnMeJon

The concept and evolution of comedy is, in itself, humorous. What makes another human laugh has drastically changed, evolving, for the better or worse, from its nascence. Today, as evidenced, at least on the twitter world, humor is defined by wackiness: the unexpected, the crass, the purposefully callous. A disregard for human emotion sparks a particular neuron in the cerebral cortex, and oddly enough, we laugh. It seems as if the notion of “funny” has regressed since the Shakespearean era. Shakespearean-time critics classified puns and wordplay as the “lowest form of comedy”, but, personally, as a wordsmith (excuse my apparent lack of humbleness) in today’s world, I couldn’t imagine quick wit ranking beneath the likes of “420” jokes and other inanities. A careful balance is necessary: one must carefully pull the listeners nerve by brushing against the controversial, but also must retain a portion of morality, a conscience that keeps the toe on the line, and no further. Few are capable of producing true humor, Im certainly not one of them, but Crushingbort, Mattytalks, Leyawn, Brendle_what, and Bro_Pair to name a few, can. Puns and wordplay elicit more a Eureka moment than genuine laughter, although the satisfaction is the same. Many others attempt wordplay for this very reason. Some consider puns the easy way out, although I obviously disagree. But I digress. As little as I know, and the little reputation that my name carries, I can offer a few words of “wisdom” (I use the word lightly). In general, know the audience, and do not push their nerve farther than necessary. Do not cross the line, and do not acquire a negative reputation from simply one slip-up. Secondly, do not set a precedent for yourself that you cannot stay straight to. You certainly shouldn’t begin with social satire and then after a few easy criticisms of easy targets, such as Miley Cyrus (I exhale loudly as I type that cursed name), find yourself floundering for more engaging topics. Finally, as in every hobby, or so you call it, know your strengths, and stick with them. My strength most likely isn’t writing articles analyzing the intangibility that is comedy, but I’m glad that you (maybe), did stick with me through these 400 or so laborious words. Until next time, keep your eye on the clock.

Regards, my target demographic,

Jon