The funny thing is, I am not funny. If you think I'm funny in any respect, just know I probably picked an aspect of that "funny" (including the aforementioned examples) up from one of the few people I consider to be excruciatingly hilarious.
In the search for my own "funny," I conversed with the Dartmouth College humor community, interviewing and reading testimonials from current and former students who have made us all laugh over the years. These wiseguys and wisegals -- from whom, admit it, you've borrowed mannerisms, jokes and idiosyncrasies -- found their callings in improv troupes and comic strips, amateur and professional performance, written and spoken word or in just being "the funny one" in their social circle. Each is a creative force in his or her own right, and the things that come out of their mouths if you pick their brains are both hilarious and thoughtful.
As Brent Butler '07, former Casual Thursday member and H-Croo chief, said: "Funny people take funny very seriously."
Eat, Sleep and Breath Comedy
Elder statesman of recent campus comedy, Andrew Dahl '05 said, "My entire existence is -- unfortunately, according to some people (Mom!) -- based on comedy."
Frederick Meyer '08 went further, saying "I do think it takes over your personality more than other arts, skills or professions." Meyer is a perfect example of how comedy can be a lifestyle as he has achieved the campus comedy "Trifecta" as a member of Dog Day, editor of the Jack-O-Latern and founding member of the Dartmouth Stand-Up Comedy Troupe.
Peter Rothbard '09, a member of the Dog Day Players, said that "comedy can serve someone their entire life whether or not they do it for a living."
It isn't all laughs when you decide to live a life dedicated to comedy. Those who pursue comedy beyond an amateur collegiate level often find themselves doing whatever it takes to follow their comedic dreams.
Butler states, "Since September when I arrived [in L.A.], I have worked as a chess instructor, a door-to-door cable TV salesman, a billboard inspector, a no-holds-barred cage fighting promoter and the burrito-getter for Jimmy Kimmel's son. If that doesn't make me an authority on comedy, I don't know what does."
Fortunately for Butler and other comedians in similar situations, the benefits continue to outweigh the costs. Butler, for example, is also currently a member of the Los Angeles improv troupe, the Upright Citizens Brigade.
"They teach a very specific style of finding the unusual or funny element in a scene, an archaic phrase, an inappropriate cookie, a very large spoon, and then heightening or expanding that unusual or funny element," he said of the troupe. "I think that can correlate to being a funny person."
"If you can read well how other people perceive you, then you can heighten the elements of your character they find funny or unusual," continued Butler.
Some of the downsides to the comedic life are more personal in nature. One unintended consequence of having a constant urge to use comedy, Meyer said, is that people sometimes have their doubts about the constantly humorous, assuming they constantly put on a front since they always seem to be "on."
Feeling Good, Feeling Great
Although each person had a slightly different perspective on why they have chosen to be that someone who constantly makes people laugh, a common theme was the desire to make others happy. Rothbard describes Dog Day's mission as one of "spreading cheer" throughout campus. Producing joy can have its own rewards. Michael Trapp '08, member of Casual Thursday, said, "There's no better feeling than what you get from making someone laugh. It's great to feel like you've made someone's day a little happier."
It's not all altruism, continued Trapp, "Of course, there's also a feeling of power (I can control this audience's emotions!) and vanity; you can't help but feel good about yourself if a stranger tells you you're funny." Whether it is truly vanity or spreading cheer that is the root cause for making people laugh might vary from person to person, but there is no denying that both carry some weight.
Self-Deprecation: It Hurts So Good
The first element of comedy itself if the time-honored tradition of self-deprecating humor. "Sure, it's funny to make fun of other people, but making fun of yourself is safer," said Tommy Dickie '05. "People want to laugh at other people all the time, but don't get to until that person makes fun of themselves." A conversation with a comedian rarely passes without some humourous jab at himself or herself.
Anna Tobin '08, a member of the Dog Day Players put it best: "All those middle school years of headgear and a really horrible haircut can pay off in a way, I guess."
An overwhelming majority of the people I spoke with mentioned something about using humor as a way to mask lower-self esteem or create a front of false confidence. Latif Nasser '08, playwright, actor and president of Dartmouth's Displaced Theatre Company, said that low self-esteem often leads to this need for constant affirmation gotten through telling jokes, which results in being laughed at which, in turn, can result once again in low self-esteem if one is more the target of than complicit in the laughter (Blitz me, I'll draw you a flow chart).
The Element of Surprise
"Comedy is always about subverting expectations," Dahl said. "If someone thinks you are going to do something, it is always comedically the strongest choice to do the exact opposite." Dahl continued with an example. "If someone asks me what the single most important moment in my life so far has be, a certain amount of tension has been built up; this is a serious question," he explained. "Then, if I answer, 'The time I accidentally touched myself while watching Dora the Explorer,' the tension has been released. Even if I meant what I said."
Make It Real
The best comedy seems to come from real life experiences, or is at least based in some truth. According to Rothbard, "something is funny when it is grounded in reality and then taken to a new level of unexpected, heightened reality." McMahan's mantra? "True humor comes from quick-witted observations of real, authentic circumstances."
But why is this piece of common comedic knowledge so true? Dog Day member Tanner Tananbaum '10 said, "When people laugh or find something hilarious, it's not so much the person telling the joke -- unless you are Mitch Hedburg, rest in peace -- but rather it's because they are recognizing and agreeing with the person."
One thing that I have noticed about many funny people is that they often find themselves in real-life situations that "normal" people would never dream of being in, which often results in comedic fodder.
"I was in line at Food Court and this kid comes up to me and says 'Hey noparentswoo,'" said Hayley Kennedy '08, the artist behind the strip and a member of The Dartmouth staff. "I looked up and he proceeded to dip his hand in a cup of water and then flick the droplets onto my face, and followed up by saying, 'Write a comic about that.'"
Kennedy did not plan for this event to take place, but funny people tend to bring very strange situations onto themselves. Some could make the claim that they do so on purpose, solely for the goal of gaining humorous material. At the same time, comedians are inherently more likely to put themselves out there, which often times means that they wind up in very uneasy situations, some of which are extremely funny.
Get Into
Dartmouth
It seems like the majority of comedians who have come through Dartmouth feel like it's a good place for comedy. Butler saw Dartmouth not only as a good place to perform comedy, but also a positive place to really learn how to be funny and hone one's craft. Butler, along with a few others, also noted that Dartmouth students often have a large set of shared experiences, so they can relate to one another and relate to the observations and stories that arise in the settings and stories that Dartmouth comedians use.
Meyer cited Dartmouth's audience of smart, educated students as an advantage because he feels they understand a wider variety of jokes and are not as likely to be easily offended by the extremes that such jokes might reach.
However, there is no way to ignore Dartmouth's physical drawbacks for comedy. Dartmouth's isolation not only keeps aspiring Dartmouth students away from the rest of the comedic civilization, it also keeps many professional comedians (and many performers in general) away from Dartmouth. Even though Dartmouth cannot be a mecca for comedy like New York City or San Francisco, many students commented that Dartmouth still offers a wide range of spaces to be funny. Be it in publications, in improv or stand-up groups and in theatrical productions, if one really wants to pursue "funny" as an art, there are a plethora of options.
Butler, an alumnus who has taken his comedic aspirations beyond Dartmouth, notes that it is much harder to please a crowd outside of 'the bubble.' As people get comfortable with a comedian at Dartmouth and he or she gains a reputation for being funny, Butler said, "people will let you do just about anything because they trust you will take them somewhere funny in the end." This is very different from performing in venues where people are paying to see you because these audiences want to see a comedian that is going to stick to the formula and tell the jokes guaranteed to make one laugh.
Funny people love to praise other funny people. About half of those interviewed name dropped other funny people (many of whom are highlighted in this article) as their comedic inspirations. They also are very generous people because not only do they spend their free time making people laugh, but they allow people like me to spend time with them, take their jokes and bite their style. For that, I thank them.
Rembert is a staff writer for The Mirror. His favorite comedy is Bambi.
