Funny Ha Ha

July 18, 2008 by Svetlana Send to a Friend

Reasons to dive into reading the story before you head first:
The (majority of) this article IS FUNNY.
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We did not write it. (supporting the previous statement all the more)
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This article IS NOT new and therefore you have NOT already read it on gawker today
(it is almost 2 years old, which in internet time is something like 8000 decades a go, making it a classic piece of sorts)
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I always wanted to do a sort of a masterclass “how to” series of articles on here, where people who know what is up let you know well, what IS UP.

So, after Becca and I saw some Paul Rudd snippet, agreed he is God among men (and mice) and she sent me this nugget (since she knew I would be procrastinating on EVERYTHING) I figured,
starting a “how to” series with “HOW TO BE FUNNY” is a pretty good start.

BECAUSE…lets face it: FUNNY IS IMPORTANT.

Everyone who writes for BYT thinks they’re (at least a little) funny.
Everyone who comments on BYT thinks they’re (at least a little) funny.
Whether or not they actually are…well, that’s open to (a very long, possibly unfunny) discussion.
Theoretically the concept is impossible to define, hugely subjective and yet some people are funny to all people.
So, The New York Times got some geniunely HILARIOUS people (Paul, Teri Garr, Garrison Keillor, Bob Balaban…) to write about how to be funny (in certain situations).
IT IS A REALLY GOOD (and funny) read, with highlights including passages like this:

How to Be Funny When You Are Incredibly Good-Looking
By Paul Rudd, actor AND God

Comedy has always imperiled the attractive. Don’t think I don’t know it. Yet what rarefied air! To go where eagles soar. The greats: Grant. Beatty. Redford. The master classes: “Bringing Up Baby.” “Shampoo.” “Barefoot in the Park.” Still, lest you fly too close to the sun, mind the wing-melting failures: “Operation Petticoat.” “Ishtar.” “Legal Eagles.”

Alphas, I give you reason to rejoice! After years of study, I have come up with a near-foolproof guide for those, like me, who bear the unwished-for burden of physical near-perfection.

1. Do a silly dance every once in a while so people think you don’t take yourself too seriously. (Once, in an audition, I threw caution to the wind and danced an impromptu “Macarena.” Yes, I lost the role of Oskar Schindler, but I gained the respect of an industry.)

2. One thing you can control is how to wear your hair. A funny haircut can make a gorgeous person look almost average. Example: George Clooney on “Roseanne.”

3. Fight the urge to dress in tight clothing. We know we look good, but remember: sleeveless T-shirts = not funny. M.C. Hammer pants = funny.

4. Here’s one for the boys: Let yourself get kicked in the groin. If Zeppo Marx had taken one to the groin just once, it would have been a completely different story, believe me.

5. Don’t be afraid to manufacture a flaw. Hugh Grant’s affected stammer, for example. Or the famed pratfalls of Chevy Chase, which led a nation to wonder, Yes, he is a hottie — but does he have some horrible inner-ear problem?

6. In the same vein, spit takes and flatulence are always funny, regardless of how chiseled your chin or glutes.

7. Try alcohol to break down those inhibitions and see where that takes you. Who’s better looking, Jerry Lewis or Dean Martin? Got it? O.K., now who was more drunk? Exactly.

8. Finally, if all else fails, just be ugly inside. You’ll be surprised at the results!

To be extremely good-looking and funny may be hard, but it can be done. Look at me. In some circles I’m referred to as the “seventh Friend,” and I’m way better-looking than anyone on that show. If you’re ugly, pay no heed to these chestnuts and relish your unfair natural advantage. But to all you foxes out there, study closely, and who knows? With a little luck you just might be the next Alan Thicke.