Thoughts about "comedy"

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Hope I'm posting this in the right part of the forums. It's a little random.

Basically, there are two types of immensely popular types of comedy I can't stand – standard romantic comedies and "cringe" comedy – and it occured to me the explanation may be my aspie brain processing things differently, specifically how I deal with emotions. I wanted to run this by some other people to see how much sense this makes.

When I watch something that involves someone being embarassed in a "funny" way, I find I feel the embarassment, and it's painful, not funny. I know the rationale is that it's supposed to be cathartic, like facing a fear and letting it go, but if that's true I don't know how to get to the "letting go". That squirming feeling will stay with me for days. I don't have the same reaction to physical slapstick.

When I watch romantic comedies, I find them immensely frustrating because the plot will usually stir up lots of humiliation and betrayal, and I have *never* gotten the sense that these are adequately addressed. Maybe I just don't have the social receptors to recognise the (what seems to me gimmicky) reconciliation moment as expressing any kind of true caring, trust or emotional connection.

Does anyone else feel like this, or am I talking out of my posterior regions?

... I remind people it is never acceptable to have a laugh at the expense of someone else. So, you and I agree:

"I feel the embarrassment, and it's painful, not funny."


I think we do well to be grateful for not being so easily fooled.

Can anyone tell me a joke that DOESN'T make fun of SOMEONE?

Even self depricating makes fun of the speaker.

While I understand and have often times shared the OP's experience, I just chalked it up to my personal life. Sometimes comedy hits a little too close to home.

Ones where we have opportunities to ponder and to possibly laugh at ourselves, collectively, can be of value.

Like what?

If there is something to ponder, it's typically something we have done that might be considered "wrong" or "stupid" right?

Yes, thank you. I have the same reaction. I'll often have to change the channel or leave the room because I'll feel so embarrassed for the character. I know exactly what you mean about that squirmy feeling, too.



Romantic comedies just irritate me to death. Not enough intellectual content.

What really gets me, though, is the juvenile potty-humor. (Think Adam Sandler) I just don't find it funny at all, only irritating.

Why do ducks have flat feet?

To stamp out forest fires.

Why do elephants have flat feet?

To stamp out burning ducks.



How can you tell if you have an elephant in the kitchen?

There will be footprints in the peanut butter.


Knock knock

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you glad you've reached the end of this post?

Do not watch Curb Your Enthusiasm then. You will hate it. The entire series revolves around Larry David getting humiliated.

Personally I like watching shows where the characters get embarrassed - especially if they are male characters, because 9 times out of 10 they say or do something earlier in the episode to deserve it. Examples: pretty much any episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, Married... With Children or Curb Your Enthusiasm.

I think the people at PETA would be offended by the conternt of this post.

Jokes that involve animals getting hurt are not my idea of funny like that one about the ducks and elephants. People who think those things are funny are sick in the head. I don't have much of a sence of humor but I know animals and people getting hurt isnt the least bit funny. Most "comedies" out there are "stupididities" to me.

^^^ game. Set. Match.

It's not about animals. It's about flat feet.


Oh never mind. We should all just shut up unless we are going to be %100 serious.

I suppose that would depend upon one's perception of "stupid" as compared to some occasional silliness or a simple misperception or any of a number of things. For example:

I used to travel with a circus, and I was quite a drinker at that time ... and one afternoon a storm began blowing in and I was soon called out along with everyone else to help tighten canvas (secure the tent). I was somewhat intoxicated at the time and barefoot, and I soon brought a 20 lb. sledge hammer down onto the top of one of my big toes. No great damage was done, but I did need a few stitches.

One week later to the day, the very same thing happened ... and that was it for me: I quit the circus.

Nothing really funny there, but you can get quite a roar with that story at an A.A. meeting while we are pondering some of the ways some of us tend to think.

After crashing into the back of a semi-trailer while drunk, I know someone else who said that was the end of his riding a motorcycle on the street.

But that's my point. You may be able to "take a joke" as the saying goes and see that people are laughing because they can relate your misfortune with a similar situation in their own life. Which is why some of us get embarrassed or squirm when we see it on the movie screen or TV.

Some people choose to believe they are laughing "AT" you. In which case, they just get mad.

Actually, I'd like to see one element of the OP as a poll question because it perhaps relates to the supposed lack of empathy Aspies feel (unless I'm misunderstanding empathy)

I suffer from this terribly, If I am watching TV I often HAVE to turn over if something really embarrassing happens. I literally can't bear it, especially if it's real, like on those home movie clip shows. It's almost painful, I cringe so much. I feel it as if it's happening to me. Yet we are told we don't have empathy? Perhaps I'm misunderstanding empathy here or perhaps empathy doesn't apply because I am not embarrassed for them, as such - they may not be embarrassed at all, I don't know or care really - I'm just embarrassed. I suppose I am perhaps unconsciously mentally replaying similar embarrassing events from my life triggered by what I saw. I don't know and I'm not sure how this relates to empathy but I'd love to see a poll here on how many Aspies can't bear to see embarrassing or cringe-worthy things on TV, as it feels like an over-sensitivity issue of some sort, to me.

I get this aswell, it's only with really emberrassing situations that I have to divert my attention. I'm completely fine laughing hysterically at other people's physical pain or deep emotional scars, but don't show me a scene where someone gets pantsed infront of a large group of people. I can't bear it.