Thursday, July 19, 2007

Humour is a funny thing….


This evening I met a few colleagues for an after-work drink. Maybe it was the wine, but I haven’t laughed that hard in ages. We shared stories of working with “Reality” TV – a genre where nothing is really real and everything is carefully scripted.

I came home with a big smile on my face, and shared a few of the funnier stories with my husband. He politely humoured me, but it was obvious that something was lost in translation. He just didn't get it.

My dear friend Bob told me about a similar experience. He was on assignment for Smithsonian Magazine, writing a story about a group of Birders. Very serious Birders. They were competing in an event that can only be described as their own version of the World Series.
These Birders were intelligent people, all of whom Bob had a great deal of respect for – but he had a very difficult time getting their sense of humour. An old timer’s haughty reference to a Red Throated Booby had all of the other Birders doubled over with laughter. The only one who wasn’t laughing was my friend Bob.

I guess there is some truth in the old Italian proverb "Ride bene chi ride l'ultimo" - which loosely translated means “He who laughs last, didn’t get the joke in the first place”.

2 comments:

Maggy and Me - said...

Hey there. Love it. I laughed out loud reading this and it was just what I needed! Thanks pal. :) D

Dil said...

I don't know....Red Throated Booby made me laugh! Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker almost makes me pee my pants!