Humor has never been my area of expertise. I am usually the person on the sidelines laughing at the comedians in the spotlight. I do, however, have friends who find my off-beat, quirky jokes to be hilarious. In fact, these friendships are built on the foundation of a mutual interest in humor.
Coming to college, I realized that my humor is not everyone’s cup of tea. Multiple people have told me point-blank that I am not funny and have suggested that I stop making jokes. But that’s the thing — I am not trying to be funny. I am not consciously making jokes for the amusement of others.
These circumstances left me in a state of confusion, so like any rational person would, I turned to the wisdom of my mother. I asked her why these people thought my humor was forced, and she replied, “you can be funny or you can be weird; you are weird.” When I asked my friends, they had similar replies, claiming that my quirkiness is humorous to them. So be it.
These replies still left me with some unanswered questions. I began to wonder what really defines humor in this day and age. The dichotomy I experienced, a love it or hate it sort of situation, left me wondering whether one can definitively say whether anything is universally “funny,” considering the differing opinions that exist.
There are various niches present in the comedic community. Some people find dry, understated humor to be funny, while others consider slapstick antics to be amusing.
This was not always the case, however. With the internet and the size of the TV and movie industry, different comedic outlets can be explored. However, in the past, the public was limited by what was available. Comedy has evolved over time to cater to all types of humor.
Shows from the 1950s such as "Honeymooners" and "I Love Lucy" featured a goofy, slapstick humor that the public loved at the time. Those who didn’t love it didn’t watch it. The availability of other types of humor simply did not exist at the time. Without the heavy use of the internet and the limited number of channels on TV, this slapstick humor was the only one explored, take it or leave it.
Over time, new forms of comedy have been explored. This can be attributed to availability and acceptance. With endless ways to access TV shows and videos, anyone can partake in humor, and anyone can access it. YouTube and Vine allow individuals to post humorous videos for the public to see while television as well as companies such as Netflix and Hulu give access to comedic films. With the expansion of accessibility, different niches of humor are established.
Most people are familiar with "The Office." It portrays the mundane activities of a group of people working for Dunder Mifflin, a failing paper company. Some find this depressing. Others find it unbelievably hilarious.
"Silicon Valley" is a fictional HBO show that portrays the progression of a start-up business that created new file compression technology. Many who are not familiar with this “coding culture” or modern entrepreneurship may not understand the jokes or find them funny; it appeals to a specific group of people.
Silicon Valley is officially my new favorite show #funny #brilliant
— Paige Piskin (@PaigePiskin) November 22, 2015
Additionally, an acceptance of these new niches in humor is responsible for this exploratory approach. Comedians such as Amy Schumer are paving new paths with their crude, brash humor. As a woman openly speaking about sex, which has never been the social norm, Amy Schumer represents change.
Although some may argue that appealing to a wider audience would be advantageous, there are plenty of people with plenty of interests. Setting out to appeal to one specific group may be more effective than one would think. Humor in media hasn’t changed to appeal to a wider audience; it has changed to appeal to more audiences.
Humor can no longer be defined in a singular way. It is not enough to call something “funny” anymore; it is all dependent on the individual’s tastes.
I am not funny. I tell jokes, and you can decide whether they amuse you.
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Reach the columnist at ghirneis@asu.edu or follow @ghirneise1 on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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