Open Thoughts On Comedy

Wow, you really hit a cord. Comedy is amazing really. The ability to take drama and make it funny is a phenomenon in its self. In every day life we do things that we rarely notice and comedians have a way of pointing those things out. Taboo you might call it.

For instance,

Scenario 1(Reality):
A man walks to a public bathroom to do number two. He wipes then flushes. He then washes and dries his hands and leaves the bathroom.
--

Normal but hardly topic for discussion, right? Not for comedians. What really goes on is the funny part and we rarely think about it.

Scenario 2(Comedy):
A man working at an office sits at his desk typing away at the keyboard. Suddenly he gets a gut wrenching feeling that boils in his lower bowel. "Blublublup!" says his lower intestine. After about 30 seconds of intense cramping and the fear of releasing premature flatus the man wipes the nervous sweet from his brow. Then a calm comes over him and it feels like its over. "Phew", says the man.

But to his demise, this is only the calm before the storm. Like a bowling ball hitting the gutter, the intense load of bile presses against his anus with a force greater than the Hiroshima bomb. Squeezing his cheeks, he grows about 2" at seated height, just enough to show his balding head above the walls of his cubical. Nervously he peeks outside the entry of his cubical to scope out the path to the bathroom. He notices two men walk in and opts to take the elevator to the 3rd floor where the majority of the women work, ensuring a cozy handicap stall and avoidance of embarrassment.

The man walks into the elevator and reaches for the "3" button. However before he could press it, his supervisor walks in and presses the "12" button.

"Hello Mr. Bernstein" Says the man.
"Hello Smitty, I'm glad I caught you" says the supervisor.
"Okay..." the man responds, eyeing the number 3 button of the elevator.
"Yeaaahh, Um I'm gonna need you to come in for Paul this weekend, his dog died... and ummm... where giving him some time off to greave", the supervisor saying informatively.
Squeezing his cheeks tighter, he nervously yet assertively says, "But my wedding is this weekend sir, and..."
"Yeaaaahh, well um.. I'm sorry but you'll have to reschedule. We're really backed up with the TPS reports and we need you here." the supervisor interrupts.
"But..." Stutters the man.
"Yeahhh, we're counting on you, ok bye-bye now." Says the supervisor as the elevators dings at the 12th floor.

Pressing the "3" button on the elevator, the man finally is alone. The pressure is intense and he feels secure to release a little gas to subdue the stress. "Pluetlut" abruptly says his anus. Then again but quietly in a high pitch it says "Pheeeew!" The man giggles and sniffs the air, waving it away with his hands. "Ding!" Says the elevator and the man fearsomely looks up to see the number 8 lit up. The elevator swings open and a load of about seven people squeeze into the small elevator. The man nervously looks down at his watch to notice it is lunchtime, thinking "Just my luck." Some people cough, and others cover the mouth as the man tries to corner himself to the back of the elevator. After a long pause of silence the elevator finally dings at the 3rd floor. The man tries to squeeze through but no one lets him by and he misses his floor.

At the bottom floor everyone gets out in a hurry, and some gasp for air. Then before the man could press the "3" button, the CEO of the company enters the elevator. The CEO presses the "13" button then asks the man what floor he was going to. The man doesn't respond, rather he just presses the "3" button.

"Is that yours?" ask the CEO.
"Is what mine?" ask the man in response.
"The fart. Did you fart? I like a man who has the guts to fart in an elevator." He says.
"Um, I sorry, it just slipped." The man says frightfully.
"No need to apologize son. I tell you what, are you open this weekend for a Lakers game?" asks the CEO.
Faced with an opportunity of promotion, he reluctantly says "Okay."
"Fine then, I'll meet you this evening at 6 in the lobby."

The elevator dings at the 3rd floor and the man is finally free to seek out the bathroom. He swings open the men's bathroom and ducks his head down to seek out feet. The coast is clear and he runs to the handicap stall, as the pressure is so intense. In a panic the man clumsily tries to undo his belt letting out a subtle and stuttering, "Aaaahhh! Hurry!" As the sweat drips from his brow, he manages to get his pants down around his ankles and his cheeks on the colds, sticky seat of the toilet. The man forces the load out of himself at a dangerous velocity that could rip the lining of his anus. The sound of escaping gasses and liquid feces spewing inside the buttocks enclosed bowl is unique like popcorn popping inside a glass topped iron skillet.

Suddenly, the sound of the bathroom door opening scares the man's anus into shyness. He quenches up as he notices the feet of a man enter the stall next to him. He looks down to notice the other guy was wearing white work-issue tennis shoes. The man, in fear of being spotted-by-shoe later outside the bathroom, tucks his feet in the far corner of the stall out of the view of the other guy. The other guy lets out an abrupt caught in order to announce his presence. This is standard protocol of men's public bathrooms, among others things. Hardly finished with this session, the man slowly and quietly continues to release the fowl dung. Suddenly and uncontrollably the man releases toxic gas into the bowl, echoing and interrupting the silence of the bathroom. The man, trying to convince himself that the other guy didn't notice him there, slowly and quietly pulls on the toilet paper. One small roll of paper at a time, the man tucks his feet between the bottom of the toilet to brace himself as his lifts up his crack for cleansing. After wiping he pulls the soiled TP around to inspect and sniff the smear in a primitively instinctive way, as if he could diagnose cancer or ulcers through the scent and color of his feces.

The man looks down at the other stall to notice the other guy had left. Never noticing the sound of the bathroom door, or the running of water, the man sits patiently to listen for any sounds of movement. The coast seems clear, but suddenly the bathroom door opens and another man enters. Going into a further stall, the man waits for the cough before exiting. After moving from the stall he glasses at the floor for feet of the other man. The gaps in the stall doors were large enough to spot others as they pass, so the man galloped gracefully passed this stall in order avoid any recognition. He quickly turns on the hot water and dispenses some soap into his hands. Nervously looking back at the stall door, the man watches for it to open. He quickly sings to himself the happy birthday song as he washes his hands -- this is a requirement of all employees noted on a safety poster on the wall beside the mirrors. A nervous sweat builds up on his forehead as he goes to dry his hands, fearing the exit of the other man from his stall. He hears the latch of the stall cling open and he quickly reaches for the bathroom door and exits.

As he walks out he notices in the distance a man in white tennis shoes crowded around a group of heavyset women. He points towards the man's direction and they all giggle, causing the fat of the women to convulse in synchronized movement. The man quickly turns around and speed walks to the elevator. Entering the elevator he notices the stench of flatus still lingering. He pulls out his organizer and jots down two notes: "Cancel wedding for Lakers game." and "Don't fart in elevators anymore, its gross."
--

You see, though very disgusting... and thorough, it's humorous. And we've all been there. (At least men have.) Comedy has a way of relating on a level that no other forms of literary can. God made us this way, and anyone who can bring this relatedness is a Godsend I say. Life is tough as is, why make it tougher by isolating yourselves and your family from the entertainment that brings humor to life. Of coarse there is adult humor, which should never be exposed to children. But the lack of adult "Christian" humor puts a strain on many believers. We tend watch cheesy Christian skits at church that bring out a giggle or two, but are far beyond the fulfillment of such humor as Larry David and others. I believe God is the king of comedy and has more humor than we realize. After all, he created us...
...bowel movements and all.

(Hope you guys approve this, I spent a long time on it, Thanks!)

Awesome article. I've thought about this a lot and deal with the same things. I don't understand why we as Christians have to be so "lame." Christian programming is laughable.

Very good! I've also struggled with this tension (and with the very same show, CYE!). Glad to know I'm not alone.

No. No, you are not alone.

I really enjoyed this article. I have always gravitated towards stellar writing in comedy--like Buffy, Coupling, and any other Whedonverse. Decidedly not Christian, it is miles better than traditional Christian material.

I think it is significantly harder to be funny in a clean way because most humor is derogatory towards others.

Which doesn't explain why Christian music and fiction is also second rate. Any answers for that question?

N@

The difficultly of comedy for me is its absurdity. I love Monty Python, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Invader Zim, Woody Allen, Beckett, etc... The problem is that absurdity is a product of nihilism and I feel much more nihilistic after too much.
Sad.

I think that in our desire and habit to see life from an eternal perspective and to focus on the spiritual side of things, we easily forget to see the physical...the tangible. That includes colors, shapes, composition, nature, etc; as well as the seed of comedy...the absolute hilarity of daily life and all of its absurdities. I live in a country where driving can be somewhat stressful; my driving attitude and style totally changed when I began to listen to David Sedaris on tape.

If something paints humanity as human we should revel in it because it points out the greater difference between us and God. Besides I think that we all, deep down, realise that we are an absurd creature.

And besides, God gave us brains, we should use them.

This conversation is good for my soul. Aaron, you are not alone. However, I am one-hundred percent positive that this is the only Christian conversation I have encountered involving Larry David, David Sedaris and a shout out to Office Space (TPS Reports). Today is off to a good start!

I am glad someone said it out loud.
I don't think all of comedy deemed 'secular' makes one a bit more callous to the Holy Spirit, though some of it most assuredly does. In comedy there are varying degrees of being more and less uplifting. As individuals, too, we approach comedy, art, movies, etc, with different levels of tolerance. This makes it vital to stay committed to our relationship with God and honest with ourselves (and others, if necessary) what will bring us closer to the type of Christian we want to be and what will drag us further from it.

Perhaps we should bring a slightly more moderate view to this post. I don't think you can look back at the history of Christianity in the Western world and honestly say, "Christian's suck as artists."
I would say that if we look at the trends in Evangelicalism, and we look at some folks on the "extreme" end of Reformed theology you can see why "Christian art" sucks. Music, comedy (hello, ever heard of Shakespeare), painting, sculpture, writing, architecture, have all been defined by the excellence Christians brought to these arts. I think that it can be easy to forget that in light of the modern Christian culture of safety and separation from a "secular" world. Mrs. L'Engle just passed away last week and she is very eloquent on this topic.
I think we have lost sight of the role of the artist; to help us peer into things that are not easily grasped. Not preach a sermon. Christian art is at its worst when it preaches.

I don't get it. I am perfectly happy with Skillet 's music. Al Merrick Surfboards (a devout Christian and arguably the most famous board shaper on this planet, who I happen to know).

Rob Bell Comedy (and other pastors and speakers i've heard in the last few years).

Veggie tales are at least on a level with Fairly odd parents (though Sponge Bob tears them all up). Simpsons are the absolute best adultish level stuff but oddly enough i have put them aside. King of the hill is good enough.

I just feel a little schizo when I bounce around from Bevo Norman to Metallica. (even though

I love Metallica and love to bash on Bevo) I simply lost interest in them. Dont know why really.

I am fed up as well as everyone with 3rd rate junk that untalented people put out. But watch FLOW listen to some of the more progressive music today. Amy Grant will never be on my Ipod (thats a promise) but there is a lot of good stuff out there today.

Our Church music director has dreadlocks and lays down some of the best reggae on Sunday morn that I have ever heard!!

peace

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia gets me every time and touches on things most Christian comedy wouldn't touch, such as Charlie pretending to have cancer to win the heart of a girl who works at a coffee shop. The season premier is this Thursday, so the guilt is already setting in for the unrighteous laughter that will surely ensue.

I agree with others that this is a great article and definitely worth discussing. I have seen some comedians who happen to be Christians that are drop-dead funny, and as I was reading this article, I had a flashback to when I was a kid watching a Tony Campolo video sermon series that was shown at my church that was absolutely hilarious - you don't expect to hear someone joking about sperm during a sermon series. But I don't think master of your domain was brought up (way before Seinfeld).

I think this discussion can be extended to all entertainment. Just as I would certainly watch Curb, How I Met Your Mother (if you haven't seen the Robin Sparkles video or Barney on the The Price is Right look them up on YouTube) or Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up DVD, for me, action films and novels in excess have a similar effect on me as Aaron was mentioning for himself. I remember reading a specific Robert Ludlum book while on vacation last year that had such an effect on me that I was easily agitated and aggressive with people around me. My wife even told me about some strange things I was saying and doing in my sleep (although that happens even without reading such books).

I know there are people in Hollywood trying to meet the need that is described here. Comedians like Kerri Pomarolli (featured on the The Tonight Show) and her husband Ron McGehee (runner-up on Comic Last Standing) are working on such adult projects that aren't vulgar. Whether they are successful or not is a different story.

Your addressing of the issues surrounding the interactions between believers who may or may not blush at fart jokes, respectively, reminded me of a quote from Lewis' The Weight of Glory:

"You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption."

It must, like everything, just come back to loving God and then loving people.

Good article. I'm a huge Larry David fan, as well, and noticed when I went through several seasons of Curb in a short period of time last year that his attitude had rubbed off on me. I have problems with being cynical to begin with, so watching too much of this amittedly hillarious show at a time just isn't smart.

I really appreciated this article. It addresses one of my biggest struggles with Christianity: the fear of depth outside of scripture. I struggle with feeling like I am a fake around my fellow Christians, because I feel like I am in tune with a world around us that they are pretending isn't there. While that world does include sin, it also includes beauty and life (often taking the form of comedy) too. I think when we appreciate that we are appreciating a very real part of God's creation.

What provocative thinking! Thanks.
With comedy, different strokes for different folks. When it occurred to me that all the Seinfold shows were about lies, plain and simple, I didn't enjoy the show any more. Well, except for the final show that poked fun at all that came before.

Same with music. Some music I like for its cultural baggage. I love bluegrass gospel, but don't think its in the same class as Bach.

My brother always seems to be focused on the funny side of things. Family members asked him why he doesn't do comedy for a living (he needs to do SOMETHING for a living). He replied that humor is the next thing to anger, and that he too easily slides into anger. That's food for thought. I enjoy the Daily Show except when the anger shows a little too much.

Good article!

I think one of the essential powers of comedy (and art in general)... Is shift in viewpoint. Nothing like good comedy to point out a way of seeing something that you haven't noticed before...

The art of absurdity, is, if you will, the art of pointing out something that was previously overlooked... Not clear about the situation.

I think this within itself creates a fear in the Christian community... We are afraid to have our view altered...

I am afraid of having my viewpoint altered because, frankly, I keep my viewpoint because it protects me.... It keeps me happy, and it prevents me from being vulnerable to people and ideas which have previously caused me pain (or may in the future)...

My worldview is my safety net...

Which is, of course, as about non-Christ-like as you get... As Christ came to change how we view absolutely everything around us... And He's still constantly changing it today...

Yeah, I think that's one of the fear-inspiring elements of comedy... And etertainment in general... Good art allows a person to see something (the same thing; "there is nothing new under the sun") in a way a person hasn't before...

We even go so far as to theological-ize the Gospel story itself so as to calm these fears of our viewpoint getting shifted... The person of Christ is a very, disturbing, view-point changing, epic tale...

I think to enjoy comedy... You have to allow yourself to be sensitive to another view... (Grant it, it may be an incorrect view)... Another life... Another whole society on ocassions... And this is a good and balancing thing...

(I have found that when people I know have a lack of sense of humor... This is often indicative of a lack of grace, perspective, and emotional stability)...

That being said, I suppose comedy is like anything else... If you keep innundating yourself with one particular point of view... You'll get overwhelmed by it and unbalanced...