quiltersmuse.com Blog

Do you remember the last time something struck you as really funny … and you could barely stop laughing? Does it surprise you to find out that the reasons people laugh have changed a great deal, over time? Have you ever analyzed those reasons?

This past few months, we have attended several lectures that, more or less, centered around the theme of why people laugh. Sex, religion, infidelity and its results, nonsense songs, and politics all rank high on the list. Stereotypes such as the Jewish mother can figure highly, in comedy routines.

Much of America’s sense of humor stems from early British humor. In fact, British humor has helped to craft what we find funny today. For example, I love Monty Python’s irreverent approach and find “The Lumberjack Song” to be hilarious. Likewise, Hyacinth and her buddies of the TV British comedy, “Keeping Up Appearances,” provide comic relief. Anyone who is pretentious is a good target, as are bumbling politicians who mispronounce words, or introduce some of their own made-up words, in speeches.

Slapstick comedy, like “The Three Stooges” is something that many people found funny, and Charlie Chaplin, before them. Today, people are encouraged to send in funny videotapes to a television show, and we all laugh … at the expense of someone’s accident or mishap.

Television commercials with jingles we can’t forget, or with slapstick humor, or some added and unexpected feature, can make us laugh.

One TV jingle that I really enjoyed remembering has to do with a dog product (for fleas?). One can replace words, which is exactly what the singer/presenter does, when he visits with children in school musical programs. He allows the kids to insert words that rhyme.

Here we go with a couple of examples:

“There ain’t so ticks on me, there ain’t no ticks on me, there might be ticks on some of you chicks but there ain’t no ticks on me.”

“There ain’t no bugs on me. There ain’t no bugs on me. There might be bugs on some of you thugs, but there ain’t no bugs on me.” etc.

My brother used to sing a song about the Salvation Army. I doubt that it was written by a member. He would sing it loudly, in his deep voice, and always make me smile! The lyrics go:

We’re coming, we’re coming, our brave little band
On the right side of temperance, we now take our stand
We don’t smoke tobacco because we do think
That the people who use it are likely to drink.

Away, away with Rum, by gum, with Rum, by gum, with Rum, by gum
Away, away with Rum, by gum, the Song of the Salvation Army.

Last night, we heard a recorded version of a once popular song about a Scotsman wearing a kilt. He had a little too much to drink and some passing lassies approached him as he laid, passed out. They were curious as to what he wore under the kilt. They found he was wearing nothing except that with which he was born, so mischievously, they tied a blue ribbon on what they discovered. When he awoke, he stumbled to the nearest tree to “go,” and found the ribbon. He exclaimed, “I don’t know where you’ve been, but at least you’ve won a ribbon!”

We love having our awareness expanded about all sorts of things! Humor is an interesting topic!

The only song I recognized in the collection of early “Wacky” songs played the other night was the “Too Fat Polka.” I know the song all too well. When I was dating, my boyfriend’s mother, who was very overweight herself, always played this song. She would sing along to a recording. “She’s too fat, she’s too fat, she’s too fat for me – Hey!” So, yes, for many decades, people have made fun of body size.

I remember a song about short people. Being tall, I rather liked it, but if I were short, I wouldn’t enjoy someone singing about “nasty little feet.” It’s all in the perception of the listener, I suppose. I see humor in many situations, as well as irony and wit. Someone once said that it takes intelligence to understand humor. That could be true.

There is also situational humor, based on surprise. I’ll never forget the time that a niece of mine and I were visiting the San Diego Zoo. There was a school yard that was visible from the two-tiered bus available to ride around the enormous zoo. Three little boys would wait for the bus to appear, and in unison, would turn their backs and drop their drawers, thereby “mooning” us. It was a hilarious moment!

Another outrageous scene was a guy in the car next to us on the freeway, sucking on a baby pacifier, and looking at us like we were the crazy ones!

Whatever you do, keep laughin’ and keep smilin’ – It’s the real thing, baby!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Charles E. Clark, Ph.D. asked himself, “What Makes People Laugh?” and then launched into a review of periodicals to find jokes and humorous stories published in early New England during the 1790s and beyond.

His talk, “What New Hampshire Thought Funny Two Hundred Years Ago,” is a program sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council. We heard this lecture at the Libby Museum in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire on August 11, 2009. All talks in this series repeat in various New Hampshire locations.

Libby Museum, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

The lecturer explored recurrent themes that were the basis for laughter. Early New Hampshire settlers made fun of the clergy, lawyers, doctors, sex, or ethnicity, particularly, the Irish. Jokes often centered on a contrast of the sophisticated, educated person with the country bumpkin.

Additionally, people enjoy laughing at themselves, or their situations, for the sake of comic relief. An audience member mentioned the television series, “Mash,” as a modern day example; and another person recalled the movie, “Glory,” to illustrate that same point.

Professor Clark read quite a few examples of early, published humor, especially notable quotes from “NH Farmer’s Journal and the Farmer’s Weekly Museum,” (a name that changed a few times), based in Walpole, New Hampshire, and primarily written by Harvard-trained lawyers who wrote many “lawyer jokes,” thereby making fun of themselves. “The Walpole Wits,” as they were called, succeeded in producing a publication with an extraordinary circulation for their time.

Citing another source, the presenter shared the story of a man who wanted to steal a pound of butter from a Vermont country store. He put it under his hat and tried to slip out the door. The storekeeper realized what was happening and invited the man to sit down next to a hot fireplace and cordially provided him with a hot toddies, which made him very “hot.” Butter soon began to drip down the man’s clothes and when he was thoroughly saturated, the storekeeper thanked him for providing so much amusement, and said that the price of a pound of butter had been worth it all.

When the audience was asked to share something that they found humorous, I mentioned the Irish song about a sweet old dearie, retiring for the night. The verse goes: “She was pullin’ ‘em up, and pullin’ ‘em down, and forgot to pull down the shade.”

Click on this link to see an overview of the program and to learn more about Dr. Clark.

We have attended ten nightly educational events of this kind this summer and have to say that we have thoroughly enjoyed them. From Dr. Martin Fox’s “History of Photography,” to Edie Clark’s discussion of regional cooking, to three memorable musical programs, and many other worthwhile programs, I believe I’ve probably mentioned all of these events on this blog. So, scroll backwards to other pages to see those comments. Many thanks to Dr. Clark for this most recent, delightful program!

View of Lake Winnipesaukee, at sunset, across from the Libby Museum

One presenter, Steve Blunt, who reenacts the character of “John Hutchinson” of The Hutchinson Family Singers, is a consummate showman who dresses in period costume. He tells me that he will be performing at Eastern States Exposition on September 25, 2009, in the morning, with the gal who sometimes accompanies him. We enjoyed seeing him at the Hancock Public Library. I can’t say enough about the NH Humanities Council’s dedication to providing excellent speakers and presenters!

By the way, the Libby Museum offers many interesting artifacts including an early schoolgirl Sampler, a piece of Tapa cloth from Hawaii, and a coin from Pres. Harrison’s campaign, just a few of their many treasures. In 1912, Dr. Henry Forest Libby started the museum as one to focus on natural history. Since then, many additional items have been added. We hope to visit there again soon!

Ever a learner!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

A favorite food in my family of origin was Lima Bean Soup. My mother claimed it was a southern dish to which she was partial because of her “heritage.” No matter that she spent only five years as a Georgia Peach! She made this soup often, usually with cornbread. The men all loved it. Any repairman who showed up in her small town would be given a bowl or two of this potent soup. Of course, the wives had to have the recipe, after hearing their husbands’ raves, and so the trend of making Lima Bean Soup spread throughout town. Many a woman did not like the soup, for reasons I cannot divulge. My mother’s own son’s family referred to it as, “Oh, The Beans Floating in Water Soup.” Some folks have no respect. If you have water, salt pork, salt, dried Lima Beans, and an onion, you’re good to go. Of course, she got more elaborate in her old age, adding carrots and calling it “Pioneer Lima Bean Soup.” “Rooty-toot-toot for the moon” is a phrase that takes on new meaning, when fondly remembering Mother’s Lima Bean Soup.

An American comedian who now works the British circuit has a few things to say in an online video. Two of his thoughts stick in my mind. The first regards the run for the American presidency. His assessment is that anyone who wakes up thinking that his country cannot exist without his leading it may be either insane or extremely narcissistic. The second thought he reveals is that Brits do not wish each other a good day and, in fact, don’t care whether anyone else has a good day. On the other hand, they don’t shoot you in the head either, so chances are better that you may have a good day.

Humorists are often not appreciated enough, and lately, it seems that all we hear about are problems and certainly, not just the issues in America. Whenever we can find a humorous side to anything, it is good to embrace it. For example, I sometimes share outrageous remarks with friends just to hear them laugh. Humor keeps everyone on their toes, and probably expands not only the quality of life but the length of it, too.

I’ve been chatty the last few days on this blog, and have not gotten into my studio to quilt or embroider or draw, for a seemingly very long time. There has been too much on my mind that is distracting. However, I am happy to have a husband who spends more time than I do, seeking out weird and unusual facts on the Internet, that can be highly amusing.

What comprises humor? Often, it is the unexpected, like overhearing one side of a phone conversation between a librarian. and her husband/ paramedic who was reporting that “The patient will be alright. He was just blown down by the wind.” The re-telling of that report sent me into gales of laughter, as I pictured the event happening. The scenario tickled my funny bone and I was just about ready to roll on the office floor and kick up my heels. Dead-pan seriousness gets me every time. Hey, we never will get out of this life alive, so why not enjoy what we can?

Pat

Oh, how I love the British comedy, “Keeping Up Appearances!” I love it so much, I’ve modeled my behavior after the protagonist, “Hyacinth,” who answers the phone with “Bouquet (Boo-kkkkkk) Residence, Lady of the House Speaking.”

When I engage in that kind of pre-conversation greeting, my friends laugh because they know me, my relatives are baffled (not that they call me that often), and other people don’t know what to make of it.

Now, with all of the political calls, I feel that one has to confuse the enemy … somehow. To that end, the other afternoon I answered the phone with “Buenas tardes,” delivered in such a convincing way, I imagine the person on the other end of the line (a political campaigner) may have wondered if he’d reached “an illegal,” working as a maid.

Life is about taking a few minutes to not take yourself or anything else too seriously. There are enough emergencies, devastations, and personal tragedies to last anyone a lifetime. That is why we need television shows such as the comedies that air on British TV and are piped across the pond to us.

“Hyacinth,” as a character, is a gross exaggeration of someone who would like to be viewed as a member of high society. She goes out of her way to be seen, to travel in the right social circles, and to hold teas using her Royal Daulton chinaware. With it, she can terrorize her poor sister with fear that she might break the china, as she is a known klutz who becomes even more clumsy because of Hyacinth’s fussing.

I love the counterfoil of “Hyancinth’s character,” the heavy set, unshaven, seemingly “low-brow” brother-in-law, Onslo. His wife has been praying for some marital “action” for years, but it never happens – it’s just her dream and fantasy. Onslo and his family always seem to show up in their broken down car whenever Hyacinth might be embarrassed by their presence, at which point they are directed to drive around the block until the coast is clear.

Good comedy portrays real life, exaggerated to some extent. So it was with the irreverent skits of Monty Python, resulting in classic studies in human behavior, I might add. I took a great liking to certain skits – like “I’m a Lumberjack and I’m ok,” and “The Church of the Divine Looney,” and “Trafalgar Square.”

I’m sorry, but I don’t understand people who are so straight-laced that they can’t find something to laugh at. Most of us can start by laughing at the absurdity of the things that happen to us.

My most memorable laugh-a-thon was when I was visiting San Diego in 1989 and my nieces took me to the Comedy Club. I was laughing so hard, I just about fell off the chair (and was not drinking, so don’t blame it on that). The show was hilarious! As much as I enjoy humor, I could never be that funny! However, it affords a little personal joy when I say, “Cummings residence, Lady of the House speaking,” and I hear a slow ripple of laughter coming from the party calling.

G’day to you.

Patricia Cummings