Smart Funny Life

I am a huge fan of comedy. I truly love it. I have also been turned a little discerning when it comes to the laugh grabbing. There are a few styles I am not a fan of and have learned through experience, classes, and exposure are just cheap and unrewarding. Among those are the cruel and self deprecating approaches. They don't even try. It's an easy out for someone looking to not do much. At Second City, we were constantly pushed to be smarter in our satire. It showed me that saying something important also relies on how you say it. In Theatre Sports back in Ft. Collins, we were pushed to play it clean and be honest. Potty humor was a trap and ultimately made for a weak show. It took smarts to avoid those easy outs. It also took guts to be honest on stage with a bunch of strangers watching. What was shocking was that truth was the funniest thing we could offer.

As I am seeking some changes in my life right now, I am reflecting a bit on these lessons. My approach to the challenges before me have fallen into the weaker categories I just described. I am slowly seeing how they are not working so well. It caused this reflection as I realized I know better than this, if only for what makes a great performance. I need to apply some of those lessons more broadly it would seem.