Jaycee returns as Guest Author, with an interesting piece on generational changes in types, and appreciation, of humour. Thank you, Jaycee – it is a subject of considerable interest to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXwGGbnvlYg
Recently, I wrote a cameo piece about a cross-dresser and the time and place he came out publicly in a small country town. I wrote it as (I thought) a humorous piece, acting on the logic that where or whenever such an event happened, be it in the place chosen for its degree of comfort and camaraderie, or in the main street in full drag, it was bound to be confronting in a pathos – bathos scenario that could occasion a few laughs from the distance of many years hence. I sent it to a younger person employed in an local government artistic / cultural occupation as an adjunct to a conversation we had on certain local issues. I was mistaken … at least, mistaken in the perception of what a new generation of readers finds funny. Perhaps, as has been suggested, my aged, male, working-class perception of what is or is not funny is now thoroughly dated! “It’s just not funny anymore” has been at odd times leveled accusingly at yours truly. I’ve had my own doubts before … it may be time to believe it!
Though, when one analyses the condition that creates a moment of humour, so that a laugh involuntarily springs from our lips, it is understood as the sudden leap from pathos to bathos and the swiftly altered situation thereof – like the flaying of arms and legs in a sudden banana-slip moment – a kind of slapstick suddenness … but something has changed. There now seems to be some hesitancy to guffaw innocently at others foolishness or mishaps. You think about it – how long since you have heard a string of good jokes? I used to hear many … one tuned one’s ear for the grand joke from a good joke teller. They were considered rare treasures … one good joke could make or break a reputation in any front-bar! You remember that “Clayton’s … the drink you have when …” advert’ with … what’s isname? … oh yeah! … Jack Thompson, THAT was the accepted locale for the dispersion of male humour. I’m sure that other gender has a similar locale!
Now it’s all gone, but people are still laughing, the guffaws are still coming … but what are we now laughing at, if not socially incorrect slapstick? I think we are more inclined to seek out humour in the more perverted absurdities of life – in the increasingly bizarro-behaviours of people and situations. I think we are finding more laughs in a kind of sado-humour than we did before … and it is a worrying thing. I’m not saying certain ghastly racist/sexist jokes aren’t deserving of the dustbin of history, but there is a worrying criticism of satire that is very over the top censorship. There seems less inclination to humour, and more inclination to litigate such skits as one would find on The Hampster or Ripping Yarns or Python etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npjOSLCR2hE
Yet, I have seen rise alongside such cruel treatment that one occasionally views on a channel-surf expedition of Reality TV, an appreciation of sado-humour, where cruel or victim-selection programs top the ratings. I have watched several so-called funny home-videos skits that seem to me to be brutal and dangerous … one can see such moments have been deliberately staged to get the video on the show. Same with those competitive cooking / singing programs etc. There can be no better display of sado-humour than one sees on such channels … yet they are the top-rating programs. What gives?
One can track the evolution of such sado-humour back to the days of try-hard Hollywood black humour, where the big studios tried their hand at so-called crime-comedy. I remember the hit movie Beverly Hills Cop was the beginning of the genre … it was billed as a comedy, yet I counted seven quite brutal killings in the show (I was a “forced” viewer – was taken to the cinema against my better judgement by acquaintances who “just loved it and you will too!!”) … I hated it – it made me wince. I’m a sensitive bloke.
Indeed, the humour of the aged, white, working male may be dated beyond redemption … but the basis for such humour, i.e., the situation comedy surely will not date. The spectator / viewer, looking on to the unfolding of a unscripted public slapstick moment, whether by accident or by self-deprecation, surely must be allowed a release of laughter at the ironic absurdity of the situation without guilt or remorse, rather than be driven to approvingly laugh sneeringly, cruelly, publicly, at the misfortune and hard-luck of others.
Bring back The Hampster crew, I say!
THE PUB 
General idiot the abbott playing pseudo war games to make himself look prime-ministerial.
Don’t worry, Aguirre, by tomorrow the Daily Telegraph would have the best words of his presser under a photoshopped Abbott doing the Sermon on the Mount with a flight of angels carrying MH17 back home.
Apparently the presser is on now and its a bloody riot. Abbott’s overdosing on the imagery, taking credit for everything, granting Ukraine authority over a war zone, and then claiming he doesn’t know any more about what’s going on than he’s seen on TV. I think his intent is to whip up a bullshit tsunami.
gravel
This is such a cute one!
But, you know, don’t worry everyone. The Netherlands and Malaysia have done the easy part, getting the bodies from the crash site to the Netherlands. And they did a bloody sloppy job of it too, as far as Abbott’s concerned. How hard can it be? It’s just a war zone. Now Abbott will oversee the tricky task of extricating the bodies from there to Australia. And he’s put himself personally in charge of the “Bring Them Home” slogan, he doesn’t want any harm to come to that.
I thought he might be asked why he’s pulling out of the Pacific Leaders Meeting. But nobody asked.
Actually someone like the neutral Swiss would be perfect for this type of protective duty.
The Separatists have an equal right (by possession) to suspect any of the affected parties of being partisan, rigging/planting the evidence etc. as the affected parties have of accusing the Separatists of doing the same thing.
Someone who doesn’t give into cheap threats or bullshit, with a proud martial reputation, plus an unwillingness to take sides in any way would be most appropriate: the Swiss come to mind as being the most demonstrably neutral in these matters, with a good record stretching back decades… especially in war zones where the utmost discretion is required.
“with a proud martial reputation, ”
Tone should be OK: he has a “proud marital reputation.”
Let Abbott have his moment in the sun. I don’t think it will have any impact in the long term. The feedback I get is that the noise against the govt and budget has quietened down but the feelings haven’t changed. All of the travelling business reps are saying that things are now worse than in the time of the ALP govt and that business is still declining.
The PM looking a bit strange in this Brizzie Times pic.
The noise against the budget will stay quiet until parliament returns in the last week of August. Most of the budget has not yet been presented to the senate. The controversial items like the GP tax and the welfare changes should be on the table then, but who knows if that really will happen. This government is certainly taking its time getting legislation in place to allow the things that were supposed to come into force on 1 July. That’s 1 July this year, not next year. By the time Abbott pulls his finger out and starts to do some real work it will be time for next year’s budget.
Speaking of the parliamentary break – Abbott has little to do at the moment except sit around. This is one of those times when PMs usually choose to nip off overseas for a while. Not Abbott though, he is looking for excuses to stay in his office where he is doing – well – nothing much. A trip to a Pacific forum would have been just the thing needed by a sane leader who was really interested in doing a good job both at home and in our region. Warm, fuzzy photos with other leaders, concerned looks about the effects of climate change, renewed declarations of aid and friendship with our regional neighbour – all genuine PR gold. But not in Abbott’s eyes. He’d rather sit by the phone hoping someone, anyone, rings him so he can call an immediate presser and say ‘I’ve just spoken to…..’. No-one is going to ring him, no-one cares about his posing and war-mongering.
Poor Abbott – scared of a meeting with Pacific leaders because they might bring up the touchy subject of the effects of climate change on certain island nations. Safer for Tony the Yellow-Bellied to stay in his office and pretend to be running the crash site investigation. His MSM fan club will be happy to push that myth on us all.
kk
Abbott is morphing into Norman Gunston. He has the receding hairline and the comb-over. All he needs is a few bits of tissue on some shaving cuts……….
Don’t you think Tony would like to meet some attractive women? And check Marge’s look!
Tonight’s Clarke and Dawe.
On the Hockey book thing – is HoJo thinking of challenging?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-24/hockey-says-destiny-will-decide-if-he-becomes-pm/5621494
And Shanners rushes to defend his hero.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/colleagues-throw-book-at-hockey/story-e6frg75f-1226999337508#
Looking at those Abbott pics, I’m thinking a petition ought to be got up to demand the electrol commission do a recount of the votes of the last election!….there’s gotta be a mistake there somewhere!!
Abbott won’t go quietly…he must know that if he loses power, he loses everything!…he is nothing..or as my old man used to say .:”less than nothing!” ..without his position of power.
Here it is..
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/australia-has-federal-police-ready-to-enter-ukraine-and-secure-mh17-site
Sounds like Sarah Ferguson’s getting the pom-poms out for a bit of cheerleading on 7.30 tonight. Give that one a wide berth.
Leer-cheering?
thanks for that Aguirre
I do not want to the terd polished.
see the terd being polished.
Sarah may ask him about the Pacific Forum …
Your Government is so popular
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/call-to-process-asylum-families-onshore-after-human-rights-commission-visit
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/scrapping-ret-save-households-65-but-lose-10bn-
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/csiro-cuts-space-research-deeply-to-find-required-114m-savings
There’s something wierd about a govt’ that is willing to spend millions on search and rescue ventures of several hundred deceased persons, yet would not put a penny toward saving the jobs of many thousands of manufacturing workers…….wierd.AND sick!….all respect to the deceased, but why punish the living who have families to support?
My brother drove me and meoldema to Mt Hotham to see the snow, today. I went up in a ski lift for the first time and made my first snowball. I also met Zoomster, We agree Sophie is the sweetest kindest most humane delicate little flower one could ever vote into parliamnent, and how the area is bereft without her fairy dust sparkle to enliven the electorate,
I must admit, Lenore has found a new mojo. Pity it’s four years too late.
PuffyTMD
A day of firsts and a day on the piste 🙂 A photo rumoured to be you with the snowball.
Ducky – I don’t think he’s being interviewed. In fact I’m sure he’s not. It’s just a piece about what a fearless leader he is. So a complete waste of time. She didn’t look too thrilled to be promoting it, to be fair to her.
Our MSM. is stuffed…absolutely f#cked !….Hopeless, gutless and useless….not worth a something full of snow…as useless as hip-pockets on underpants….as dozy as Rip Van Winkle on serapax….just a completely worthless lump of spat-away chewing-gum !
That’s not a Snowball. I’ve seen heaps of them – real ones are covered with chocolate and have coconut flakes on them.
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/julia-gillard-said-shed-stand-down-to-make-me-prime-minister-greg-combet-20140724-3cicc.html
Vote 1 Greg Combet.
Aguirre,
Sadly, you were right.
What a strange Uhlmann! Actually showed respect to Greg Combet.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2014/jul/24/gaza-crisis-palestinian-death-toll-passes-700-live-updates
When is enough enough, Bibi?
This little black duck
Combet was one of the few that the butter inners and talk overs didn’t bother to try on. He’s had to deal with people a hundred times tougher than the likes of Uhlmann.
kk,
Indeed.
For the three The Australian links, the shortened buff links in the tweets are actually google searches, saves you some time dodging the paywall. This book thing ain’t really helping Joe I reckon.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/colleagues-throw-book-at-hockey/story-e6frg75f-1226999337508
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/liberals-united-against-credlin/story-fn53lw5p-1226999333479
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/joe-hockey-was-urged-not-to-help-biographer-madonna-king-but-declares-book-fair-dinkum/story-fn59niix-1227000185094
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/24/no-anti-abortion-activist-should-be-able-to-mislead-women-to-rescue-them
http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/minus_proper_archives_many_new.php?page=all
Tough Joe won’t work with the voters.
Joe doesn’t do “Tough” he does a fine “Surly Joe” though.
I said about the cover of his book that he looked aggressive. OH said it was a perfect Shrek.
All-round admiration.
A Rod Serling Moment for Youse.
So I go to Her Indoors just now and say I have a confession to make.
She says, “Yeah? WHAT confession?”
So I say…
“All these years we’ve lived here, y’know, I’ve never put a supermarket plastic bag on the door knob of the laundry door for the lint from the dryer.”
“Hmmm… go on…” she says
“So, I just wanted to apologize for 12 years of slackness, where I always assumed you’d put the supermarket bag there so I could put the dryer lint into it. You’ve been wonderful, in that regard, Darling.” (didn’t want to flatter her TOO much, youse must understand).
She replied: “I have NEVER put a supermarket bag on the door know of the laundry for the dryer lint. I always assumed it was YEW who did that.”
{This is the Rod Serling Moment}
“But, if I didn’t do it who…..?” queries I.
Her Indoors says, “Don’t shit me Bushfire. Don’t scare me like that.”
I say, “Mate, I’m not scaring you.I’ve NEVER put the lint bag on the laundry doorknob. E_V_E_R.”
Da DA da-da, Da Da da-da, DA DA da-da…
If neither of us put the lint bag on the laundry door knob… then who did?
I wish we had deadlocks here. And garlic.
LintGate!
I had my car in for a new set of tyres today, and while I waited for them to be done I read the only paper available in the shop, the Telegraph. It was like reading a Biggles comic. Page after page of hero worship of Abbott, and even some of Bishop the single. One large headline stated that “we” were ready to send in the troops to quell the Russians, their proxies in Ukraine, and even the Ukrainians if they were to get in the way of Tony and the Telegraphs Aussie Wehrmacht.
For a moment I was horrified at the rank stupidity of it all, utterly over the top. But then I thought it was just funny, what happens when the telegraph disappears up it’s own arse.
“what happens when the telegraph disappears up it’s own arse.”
It is discontinued and then issued as the Daily Truth.
Trust me – I work for Rupert.
Telstra cutbacks today. It seems 100% of the area I worked in last year lost their jobs. If anyone here knows anything about cloud computing and hosting in general then they would know it is extremely demanding and customer intensive. So what did Telstra do? Only sack over 600 highly experienced staff who deal directly, mostly face to face, with angry, aggressive high profile customers. And what are they doing? Sending the work – all of it – to India where they are not only six hours behind the Australian east coast ie where the big money is and the customers live so that they can do what they always do and work off a script and avoid any kind of confrontation with those high fee paying customers. Customers who are extremely savvy, know what they are doing and expect a responsive, motivated, technical staff to work with.
Jesus wept.
Roy,
The agenda is to make the unemployed in Australia beg for work, for any pittance.
Roy,
If they’re not in the top 0.001%, they are plebs and don’t matter.
(Now hear the word of the Lord …)