OK, so there's funny...and then there's funny

If you're reading this, you will also need to read the post that follows this one -- because this one is all about that one.

You will notice that the post below talks about a new mini-course in television sitcoms, and that it suggests that you need to be really funny to participate.

I feel the need to clarify what I mean by "really funny."

Some people are blatantly funny. They tell jokes. They make stupid faces. They're the class clowns. (Think Jack Black or Chris Rock.)

Others are ironically funny. They see the contradictions in life in ways the rest of us don't. They're sarcastic and snide. (Think Jerry Seinfeld.)

Others are brilliantly funny. They're the ones who pull complex ideas together into stories the rest of us wouldn't think of, or who see the world in ways that the rest of us miss. (Think Garry Trudeau, cartoonist/author of Doonesbury.)

And then there are the deadpan comics, the ones who never crack a smile and don't let on that they even know what humor is....

In other words, great comedy writers come in all sizes, shapes and types. And you don't have to a yuck-it-up type to have an incredibly valuable voice to contribute to the class.

So don't be intimidated by the prerequisite. If you think it would be fun, it would probably be fun. Write the essay. That could be fun, too.

Cheers,
Dianne