RICK VON FELDT: Funny

1. What scene from a sit-com, book, film or play have you found the funniest and why?

I find myself humorous not funny. I think that is why I don’t remember funny things. I remember in school that there were kids who could recite entire scenes from Monty Python. They would talk themselves into laughing fits by must repeating the lines. I didn’t laugh at the lines. I laughed at them laughing at the lines.

What is funny, so to speak, is that I ended up starring in three comedies on stage, written by comedy writer Neil Simon. But on stage, it was my “comic timing” that made people laugh. But it was subtle human comedy – at the predicaments of life. Not fart comedy. Or “three stooges” comedy which I despise.

If I want to laugh a little, I turn on Will and Grace. I think the character of Karen and her delivery of humor is just brilliant. And the lines out of all of the characters are smart and dead pan delivered.

When I was a kid, I think I laughed a lot more! I would laugh out loud at The Lucy Show. I couldn’t wait for Monday nights. And I absolutely loved Tim Conway and the whole crew of the Carol Burnett show. While writing this, I took a moment to go over to YouTube and look at a few moments of the humor: THE CAROL BURNET SHOW. It still makes me smile . Probably the last time I just remember laughing outloud was when I watched the television series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” It is a fantastic comedy.

2. When was the last time you laughed so hard it hurt and who or what made you laugh?

I am stumped. I don’t really laugh out loud. I honestly cannot remember this happening. Does that make me a sad person?

3. What’s the funniest or most absurd situation you have found yourself in? Did you find it funny at the time or afterwards?

I recently wrote in my blog about going to a high school dance. Or so it felt like it. That was absurd. I dreaded going to it. I smiled during the middle of it. And laughed at it later.

4. How would you describe your sense of humour and why do you think there is so much variation among individual’s senses of humour?

Peter, great question. Just having to answer the questions above really makes me wonder. As odd or potentially snobbish as this is going to sound, I believe that intelligence has much to do with our own style of humor. We see elements of life differently based upon our ability to understand them. And this then creates various levels of what is humorous to us.

It is interesting that I don’t laugh very much. But if find life humorous. And I actually like it when I can make people smile humorously. But not snort out loud laughter. I also wonder if living alone makes me laugh less?

5. Is humour powerful?

According to the doctors. But I am not sure we laugh as much as a society any more. In America, there used to be a lot of comedy on television. But now, it is all about crime scene investigation, scary things like demons and vampires and super human beings. I wonder if that says something about the psyche of the American people. Or perhaps the times we are in.