Do you know what it’s like to have to sit around with two 40 to 50 year old men, day in and day out, and explain why your ideas are funny? (Especially with my sense of humor?) Do you know what it’s like to try to tell someone,
“Uh, I know you don’t think this is funny, but I promise it is.”
“But it’s not funny, it’s stupid.”
“Well, yeah, but it’s also funny.”
“No, no it’s not.”
And then in detail, I will try to dissect my idea and tell them why it is funny. Do you know how unfunny it is to explain why something is funny? And then after explaining it, they still say, “No, it’s not funny.” But I hear, “YOU’RE NOT FUNNY!” Because I’m sensitive.
And they can say all that to me because they are the boss. They are in charge. They can take my ideas, my hopes and dreams, soul, personality, aka my writing, and squish it under their power wielding thumbs because they have offices with windows.
But when they share their ideas with me, and I don’t think they are funny, I can’t just say, “What side of stupid did you wake up on!” Because, like I said, they are my boss. And it’s just not a good idea to say that. Plus I don’t want to hurt feelings.
But do you know how hard it is to do that day after day! To keep my cool, day after day, especially when I’m totally PMSing???
It’s so hard that today, when my boss told me my senior project was mediocre, I might have accidentally (not at all accidentally) flipped his notebook over on his desk and said, “YOUR IDEAS ARE CRAP!”
And then when he laughed, and told me to think of more ideas, I might have yelled down the hall, “No! You think of more ideas!”
And then I come back to my office sans natural light to think of more ideas, but I’ve got nothing! Because now I don’t know what is funny. I’ve been discussing what is funny for so long, that it has become warped and I have no gauge of what is comical, and what is lame. And just because something is funny on paper, doesn’t mean that it will be funny when you translate it to TV. Will the talent make it better, or will it be cheesy? Will it fall flat, is it “doable” with the budget? All of that on top of, “Is this even funny to begin with?”
So when you’re watching a commercial, and it’s almost funny, but not quite, cut the writer some slack. Because maybe, just maybe, it could have been funny, but somewhere along the way it got muddled by some unfunny people.
Humor is so subjective. But I feel like there is an overarching humor that almost everyone can relate to. This is the humor I strive for, thirst for, knock over notebooks for.
Will I ever find it? Who knows.
I only know I may not have a job by the end of the day.
I’ll keep you posted.
p.s.
thank you all so much for the birthday cheer, via blog, text email or gchat! you are all the bomb dot com.
I think you’re pretty funny.
yeah girl, its called toilet humor, and it sucks. but evvvvveryone laughs at a well placed fart. ugh.
Happy late birthday!
I hope you don’t get fired!
PS I have always admired your sense of style!
ok after months of being a dedicated reader I decided to give you a shout out. I LOVE YOUR BLOG. and I think I LOVE YOU! I think you are hilarious. You are a great writer!
ok after months of being a dedicated reader I decided to give you a shout out. I LOVE YOUR BLOG. and I think I LOVE YOU! I think you are hilarious. You are a great writer!