I am not really a funny person...if I had a book of jokes, the punch lines would all fall flat and people would just stare at me. (How do I know this? Let's just say I had a book of jokes when I was younger and I can't say it did me a lot of good.)
Now, I'm not saying I'm not funny, however; my particular brand of humor can be slightly jarring at times. I've been told it's very hard to tell when I'm being serious and when I'm joking. Honestly, with some of the things I joke about, that concerns me--you all must think I'm some crazy, angry, violent, passive aggressive evil genius or something (ok, maybe not the genius part, but it made me feel better to add it in there).
Dry Humor:
- Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone or very serious, solemn, matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor.
This definition describes my delivery. I'm not sure I'm actually "sarcastic" all of the time in the sense of the dictionary definition...
- Sarcasm is the rhetorical device of using a characterization of something or someone in order to express contempt. It is closely connected with irony, in that the two are often combined in the same statement.
Although maybe sardonicism is a better description:
- Sardonicism (from Risus sardonicus, a convulsive laughter) is the expression of derision, cynicism or skeptical humor variously through comment, gesture or writing.
I don't think I make jokes intended to jab at another person, but I guess it's hard to tell what I actually joke about because I sadly don't monitor every word that comes out of my mouth. either way, I'm starting to see that I'm either actually cynical or i joke as if I am cynical? Or maybe I'm only cynical about certain things? Either way, this dry humor thing might not be the most positive thing in my life. Am I even capable of being humorous around others without it? Or am I over-analyzing?
Well, I enjoy your humor.
ReplyDeleteI am rather sarcastic too, though.
In general, I don't buy all the criticisms of sarcasm, which claim that it inhibits close relationships and sincere interactions. But, that having been said, I have occasionally found myself using sarcasm as a not-particularly-well adjusted coping mechanism.
So, I guess the answer - as with most things - is "everything in moderation."
- Erin