Tuesday, January 10, 2006

What makes me laugh

I was watching Letterman tonight, and he had Albert Brooks on (who completley cracks me up!), and in a clip of his latest movie, he asks a hotel clerk, "What makes you laugh?". The clerk answered, "Animals that act like humans. You know... like a dog writing a letter, or a chicken on the phone." Aidan fell out on the floor laughing. "A CHICKEN on the PHONE!", he exclaimed between giggles. Animals acting like humans makes Aidan laugh, too.

Yesterday, Darren called me "The Chuckler". He says I chuckle a lot. My former boss used to tell me that I have a laughing voice. My friend Victoria W. says I have Betty Rubble's giggle. I guess I laugh a lot more than I realize. And I realize that I do laugh a lot. I find humor in everything. The best exercise I get is a good belly laugh - throwing my head back and letting the laugh come tumbling out, eventually running out of oxygen and, doubling over, slowly allowing it to peter out in a body-rocking, belly-jiggling, side-splitting, headache-inducing quake. MAN, I love laughs like that.

So without further ado: Things That Make Me Laugh

1. The latest Nextel commercial, where the office guys are dancing like freaks to that song from the 80s, "Oh Baby Baby, ooh babybaby..."... and the boss comes in and, freaking out, says, "We don't know how many converters we have! We don't know where our shipment is! And I can't find Koffman anywhere!" The guys stop dancing long enough to pull their Nextel phones out of their pockets and give him the answers he's looking for, then they resume dancing. I espcially love the Asian guy sitting on the desk running the jam box. His expressionless expression is SPOT ON. Cracks. Me. UP!!You can watch the commercial HERE.

2. Ashlie the Cat. I swear, this cat knows she's being funny. Sometimes when I walk into the room, she's waiting for me. As soon as I round the corner, she jumps out at me, then, just like in the cartoons, she peels out on the hardwood floor, running like mad but frozen in space, eventually blazing across the room like a canon shot. Then, she waits for me to look up and she does it again! Cracks. Me. UP!

3. Ian. The things that come out of his mouth astound me and make me laugh at the same time. This weekend, while Darren and Dani were out of town, I took the boys to our favorite local dive: Ol' South Pancake House. The boys ordered Pigs in a Blanket, because it had a funny name. As SOON as our food was delivered, Ian announced to the restaurant, "I HAVE TO POOP!" I said, "You're kidding me. Well, you'll have to wait. You should've told me before our FOOD came." I picked up my fork and he announced, "MY POOP WON'T WAIT." This is not what struck me as funny. This is: While in the bathroom, I muttered, "I hope my food isn't gonna be COLD when we get back." Thirty seconds later, Ian said, "Mommy. You're gonna be sorely disappointed." "Why's that, Ian?", I asked, while wondering WHERE he picked up that colloquialism. "'Cause your food's gonna be cold, alright." Cracked me right up. Ian says things DAILY that send me into gales of laughter. He doesn't have to try to be funny. He just is.

4. Craig Ferguson, host of The Late Late Show on CBS. I can't help it. He's just FUNNY. The best late night host to come down the pike since Dave. (And you know I love Dave!)

5. Martha in California. Have MERCY, that woman is funny. If I'm on the computer and Darren hears me chuckle, he says, "Martha?" Yup. Every time.

6. Go Fug Yourself. My laughing friend Ginger turned me on to this blog, which criticizes in a totally rude and mean but completely HILARIOUS way, the fashion disasters caught on film in Hollywood. Read it and wheeze.

7. Late night infomercials. There used to be one on at about 3 a.m. featuring male enlargement wonder drugs. Oh. My. FlyingSpaghettiMonster, those cracked me up! The first time I saw one of those was right after SHerilyn moved back from Holland. We were having a scrapbooking marathon here at my house, with the TV on in the background. We almost died laughing that night. My sides hurt thinking about it!

8. Farts. But I've already blogged about THAT, so I won't bore you.

9. Darren. You wouldn't think it, 'cause he's sorta quiet. But he is a very funny guy. He makes me laugh all the time. :)

10. Bill Waterston. I miss Calvin and Hobbes. Wow. Just googled to make sure I had his name right. I can't belive it's been ELEVEN years since he retired! My favorite strip... the ones where Calvin was getting his school pictures taken and the ones where he built headless snowmen and made it look like his Dad had hit them with the car and the ones where he got into it with Suzy and ... and... and...

11. Aidan and Ian repeating lines they learned from watching 1995's "The Little Rascals" over and over and over. (It's their latest movie obsession.) "You're a barf-encrusted jumbo jerk. You're scum between my toes." Sunday morning, after giving the boys a dollar to put in the collection plate at church, they sat their in their seat, quietly singing, "I got a dollar, I got a dollar. I got a dollar, hey hey hey hey." I laughed. Out loud. In church. And I didn't even try to hide it.

So. What makes YOU laugh?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Stacy- you do. Shameless plug for you and your humor, but you do. I also love the TV show, An American in Canada. We are American- in Canada. Very funny to us. Sharon in NJ makes me laugh as well as Weezie. We don't get much done when we are together. Want to come to NY in April? We'll all not get much done!

Patricia said...

My kids also love the I got a dollar song!! Every Saturday on allowance day, I get to hear it! :)

Sherilyn said...

heh. When I saw the title of this list, I wondered if the commercials for "that SPECIAL part of a man's body" would make the list. I was sure you hadn't forgotten THAT. :D

Corey really likes that Nextel commercial, too.

Okay, this first one just made me laugh (and you know I laughed outloud). Although, there is strong language in some of what I am about to link to, so if you don't appreciate a little cursing, don't go there. I googled "that special part of a man's body" and got these blog :http://stolenswan.blogspot.com/archives/2005_11_01_stolenswan_archive.html#113222389893428675

http://www.aboutmylife.net/users/uj_opiumcat/113391.html

Remember the "Queen Mother hat"?

Sherilyn said...

hmph. Links didn't copy in completely. Oh well,just Google "that special part of a Man's body" in quotes and you can find them, too. :D

Anonymous said...

The only problem with this question is narrowing down the list. And if something makes me laugh once, it makes me laugh every. single. time. Easy to amuse - that's me :)
* I like that Nextel commercial too. And I really crack up at the one where the guy is singing a rap song to the tune of Karma Chameleon.
* Will Ferrell. I don't know what it is about the guy - just about everything he does makes me laugh. Just the poster for the movie "Elf" makes me smile. And did you see the SNL skit where "everyone at the office was encouraged to wear something patriotic"?!? Hilarious!
* when "piehole" is used in place of "mouth"
* when someone wipes out bad and enthusiastically says "I'm okay!"
* when I try to smile like a "normal" person and only show one row of teeth
* when someone is really good at mimicry. I used to work with a couple of guys who were GREAT at it. I was always making requests for them to do co-workers. It cracked me up most when they did me.
* GoFugYourself, as previously mentioned.

Okay, probably more than you wanted;o)

Bobbie said...

OMG, I just watched Peoples Choice Awards, please shoot the host!!!! HE DID NOT MAKE ME LAUGH!!! I was so embarassed for him. Poor Jessica was put on the spot w/Goerge Lopez comment, "sorry Nick could not be here", and sorry, she and her boots need to keep walking somewhere else, and the idiots could have stood up straight at the micro. I am glad Jennifer Aniston won the "best look" award over Angalinaslutle, oopps miss spell, and Sandra won Best Actress over Angalinahole.

NNNNNNNNeeeeway

What makes me laugh:
:)Goerge Lopez
;)Nads hanging from a truck hitch
:)Funny loud farting emails
:)My buds from work (NEVER)(EVER) a dull moment...(EVER)
:0 When I fart while standing in an isle at the store and hurry and get away
:)Animals doing funny things on AFHV
:)playing games at christmas w/family
:)when someone has a snorting laugh
:) YOUR stories!!!!!!!!!

Martha in CA said...

Awwww, Stacy! You make me blush! You make me laugh too, but I must say that my laugh is nowhere near as hearty as yours. Sometimes I feel as if I'm missing out on a good ol' belly laugh, but I can't tell you how many times in a day I chuckle, albeit more to myself than a public display.

So many things make me laugh, one of the best being shared stories with friends, especially when they can abbreviated to a word or phrase. As for popular media stuff, I'd have to say 'vintage' SNL skits, and certain characters from Mad TV.

It's funny what is funny to all of us. Like, I don't think that Nextel commercial is funny at all. But I like the music!

Now. I must go follow Sherilyn's directions about "that SPECIAL part of a man's body" cuz I'm thinking it's his wallet...

Anonymous said...

I love the Nextel commercial too - we even back up the Tivo if we're ffwd and see it. Love that commercial.

Old SNL reruns featuring Dana Carvey as "The Church Lady." Cracks. Me. Up. Every time. Now isn't that SPECIAL?!?

This old rerun of Threes Company where Jack and Janet go to a fancy party and Jack gets a hold of a spiked drink and starts acting all wacky and dancing like a crazy person.

I could go on and on... :)

The Stopper Family said...

Your story about Ian saying "you're going to be sorely disappointed" made me laugh out loud - I had to stop reading because I couldn't understand what I was reading because I was still laughing.

My daughter Emma. She does things just to see our reaction and our laugh. Right now, when we say "Dance Emma", she kinda bounces up and down dancing.

Cyndy said...

That is so funny that you blogged about that commercial. I love it and blogged about how much it cracks me up after Sue shared it on SS. After reading your list (I LOVE Craig F too!), and peoples comments about "man parts" & injuries, I have a funny to send you. watch your e-mail:)!

Donnann Tritten said...

I love Calvin and Hobbes too!! I miss it so much, in the LA times they have been reruning it and I have been loving it. I think I have every collection book he ever made. His new collection with every one of his comics is on my wish list!!

IStandAmazed said...

Democrats, when they're being whiny little babies....like now with the Alito hearings.

Anonymous said...

Canadian humor , i can never digest it. I love brits.