29th February 2016
I would like to discuss humour with you.
Everybody has a sense of humour and senses of humour obviously vary from person
to person; culture to culture; and family to family. The things people find
funny are obviously going to fall on different points of the jocular spectrum
depending on individuality, background and up-bringing. Like, duh. However, one
thing I have never quite understood is the humour that varies from gender to
gender. Which leads me to question, “Why can’t I make fart jokes?” Well,
obviously I can because I find fart jokes funny and nobody is stopping me from
making the fart jokes. So, I should just go right ahead and make fart jokes.
But my question requires a broader response; so, let’s rephrase the question. Why
is humour gender specific?
I can kind of guess your train of thought now.
“Ugh. Why is she asking a serious question about jokes and shit? Ugh… Ugh.”
Maybe with a few more intelligible words thrown in (I did say I could only
‘kind of guess’ though, so that one’s on you). But before I lose your interest,
just keep reading because I really want you to keep reading.
I’m getting to know this guy and he’s pretty
decent. We discuss movies and music, history and hypothetical questions, society
and family and our hometown. I like him. He’s cool. The other day we were
hanging out and we’d just eaten a massive lunch of fish and chips. Me, being
the charming human that I am, commented on my stomachs satisfaction and
fullness with the statement: “That was so good. I need to fart now.” Said guy
looks at me, bewildered, and responded with: “Did you just say you needed to
fart?” (I should also tell you that before this point he had already compared
me to Woody Allen. So, it’s not like me cracking a joke* is out of character.) I replied with: “Well, I do.” Clearly not amused, then he was like: “I thought you were a
lady.”
Then I told him that he was sorely mistaken and I
am, in fact, disgusting. Just ask my mother, sister, father, brother, closest
friends and anyone who has spoken with me for longer than ten minutes. The guy
then told me that I am a lady because I am so pretty and daggily sexy and stuff
like that (thank you, I try). But that’s not the point. The point is that if I
were a guy, I could probably get away with saying that without too much
backlash. Ladies should be able to make fart jokes too because we are people
and people fart. Even my late uncle farted and he had a colostomy bag.
Oh, and then this whole self-depreciation thing
lead him to telling me to not be so down on myself and my telling him that I’m
not down on myself, I am disgusting and people laugh at me because of it. Which
I am okay with: because, in my books, this means they accept me. And any form
of acceptance is a-okay (unless it involves societal intolerance).
So, why can’t I make self-depreciating jokes? Why
can’t I be the loveable loser like my supposed comedic doppelganger, Woody
Allen? How come girls can’t utilise self-depreciation as a tool to make people
laugh without running the risk of being called out as attention seeking? If you
pay close attention to sitcoms, you will notice that anytime a man makes a joke
at his expense there will be the appropriately timed canned laughter. But when
a woman says something at her own expense it’s met with an “aww” of sympathy
from the pre-recorded audience.
Reader: “Yes, Meg. So, how do we solve
it?”
I knew you’d understand. Well, I propose we all
begin with leading by example. Be whoever you are and let your silly shine
through. Whether that be: Miranda Hart silly, or Robin Williams silly. Kevin
Hart silly, or Lee Lin Chin silly. And if anyone has a problem with it, well,
tell them to bugger off: because you are fucking hilarious.
*Cracking a yolk (the egg trope continues).