funny business at philo cafe!

I've been seeing the emails for a few weeks, but had not yet ventured out to a meeting.

For one thing, I really try to avoid driving at night, right?

For another thing, I'm not that keen on the location at Foxy Loxy, a coffee house down by the main public library on Bull Street.

The meetings are held at dinner time and that menu is rather limited.

But the topic spoke to me for tonight's scheduled discussion.

"What makes funny funny?"

If nothing else, it reminded me of Sheldon's quest to write the ultimate joke that would be funny to everyone.

It was a task he failed at, totally and completely, mostly by overthinking it.

So, what was the goal for Philo Cafe?

 

"Why do we laugh?
Is it an inexplicable mystery?
Is it a spiritual gift?
Is it a form of learning?
Bring your best jokes, and we will chloroform and dissect them,
so they are never funny again!
It should be a blast.
Seriously, what is it that makes one thing funny, but another thing lame?  
It should be an interesting discussion."

 

It actually turned out to be quite interesting, especially as we had a real comedian, Bill Cooper, there to goose things along in his new England style.

Dan Baisden is the ringleader of the group now and he was there promptly at 7.

Don Jarvis, a Philo regular for many years, like me, showed up a little late.

But the one who contributed a lighter tone for all was "Dallas", a young woman pursuing a graphic design degree at SCAD, killing time while awaiting her 8 PM art history class.

I do hope she'll be back on future Tuesdays!

As for me, I arrived early, determined to have dinner and help support the venue.

I'd checked out the menu online first.

I settled on the Vegetarian Taco, as well as the Guacamole with Chips as my side.

Very good choices!

And the Box of Water was good, too, with not a trace of paper in its taste!

And had I brought a joke to be dissected?

Of course I had!

I trotted out my favorite joke, one that can be told to any audience, of any age, and is sure to tickle someone... or at least elicit a groan!

What do you call Batman and Robin after they get run over by a steamroller?

Flatman and Ribbon!!!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

Dan laughed; Bill groaned and muttered at me; Don had not arrived; and Dallas looked up from her sketches and smiled.

Success, as far as I was concerned!

Then we started talking about what made it funny to some and did a joke have to involve someone in pain to be funny and why do so many jokes involve someone getting hurt?

Say what?!

Definitely a bit of overthinking going on... but that's what happens at Philo Cafe.

It is, after all, about the philosophy behind the topics, not the topics themselves.

Did I enjoy it?

I certainly did, not just of the discussion but also of the act of doing something different, with different people than I usually see, in a different place than I usually go.

That was very good.

Will I be back?

I shall, but not next Tuesday.

The physicist has claimed that day and, as it is Jeffvember, and, as he has a birthday coming up soon, and, as I haven't seen the bfe since before this semester started.

Seriously.

That was in July... months ago!

Sure, we've texted back and forth... but, actually seen each other?

Nope!

So, next Tuesday is spoken for.

That will be a nice break from Election Day shenanigans.

Hooray!

And, possibly, I'll return for more discussions in two weeks.

Maybe I can even get Cedric to come along, too.

That would be grand!

(smile!)