GSOH

Can't let this post languish without comment, just in case newcomers to the forum think we don't know what's funny!

I do sometimes see myself and laugh - usually in a shop window, or when I have a face mask on.

I don't find slapstick funny, nor nudge-nudge jokes (but I did at one time).

I laugh at witty jokes, funny internet memes (see attached), a good comedy film, my husband when he tries to be cute, some of the things I read on GN.

A good sense of humour is the ability to laugh readily (IMHO) at many things.

I really dislike slapstick and the use of swearing to raise a laugh. I do enjoy witty humour and well observed human traits being joked about. Victoria Wood, Angus Deayton, Two Ronnies, to name but a few. And yes never take yourself too seriously, we all do things which are worth laughing about.

Humour, like music and books, in a very personal 'thing' and changes over time.

It's not just about laughing out loud though, is it? An inward smile, at something amusing or ridiculous and a willingness to see something funny in everyday situations comes into it too - the opposite of Grumpy Old Man or Woman Syndrome perhaps?

For me it's puns. I do giggle at a clever play on words.

And surely we all enjoy the humour of pomposity or pride exposed, in ourselves or others.

loved the meme Grannyknot

I personally don't find slapstick funny, but like the effect it has on small children their laughter can be very infectious. My parents influenced my comedic tastes quite a bit they tended to watch things like Monty Python and satire rather than say Tommy Cooper and Morcombe and Wise who were very much at the fore in my growing up years. I must be missing something because I've never found that type of comedian funny which I know is tantamount to sacralige. There are lots of great comedians around these days I loved Little Britain when it came out, but guess it ran it's course. I enjoy Armstrong and Miller, shows such as HIGNFY. Victoria Wood was one of the funniest women around and a great loss imo. Also like Jo Brand and her style of delivery. Comic women can be a bit thin on the ground, personally I'm not a great fan of Mel and Sue, but do like Dawn and Jennifer who although bordering on daft at times have flashes of brilliance. The type of comedian I don't like would be Frankie Boyle I think his comments about both Rebecca Addlington and Katie Price's son reprehensible, particularly about the latter who was a child at the time.

So - we are in a restaurant having high tea in honour of Grandpal's Birthday. The DGC insist that we do our usual round-the table 'something beginning with A, B, etc' and the chosen subject is 'People with double A, B, etc names'. Now that the DGC are 9,9 & 7 they are rattling through this and we soon reach R - Roland Rat, Robert Redford, Ronald Regan and then DGD2's turn she says RAPUNZLE. Her brother and cousin immediately pounce on her saying that's only one name and DGD2 immediately replies - 'but her surname is ROBERTSON'.

1 Granny and two mums collapse into tears running down cheeks laughter while the DGC and Grandpal are unmoved.

It is all about context, isn't it? and what tickles your fancy.

I enjoy observational humour.
I absolutely hate any catch phrases I find them really embarrassingly awful.

Good satire. Radio 4 news quiz or The Now show.
Some very clever slapstick is ok eg David Jason falling through the raised bar door. It has to be really well done. I like good off the cuff banter.
I still really miss Victoria Wood her humour was so good and never with a nasty twist.

I did enjoy Morecambe and Wise. It was old fashioned yes but their timing was impeccable and they just exuded happiness.
Terribull there are a lot of good woman stand up comedians about these days. They often get slots on the Radio at 6:30pm. Probably as being offered try outs of new talent.

I think being able to laugh at yourself is a sign of a GSOH. Personally, I dislike slapstick, Frankie Boyle should be exiled on an uninhabited island. Love Dawn French, used to like Paul Merton but he seems to have gone off of late. I will give most comedy a try, although I don't see the comedy in bad language, much prefer clever satire and observational comedy.

Granny23 that would have had me crying with laughter too!

Mostly myself and my funny daughter.

Morecombe & Wise, Barry Cryer, Jeremy Hardy, Vic Wood, Green Wing, Airplane.

I laugh at language based humour: wit, irony, jokes, cleverness and so on. I find slapstick and practical jokes somewhat crass and often cruel. There is a difference between the quiet inward smile and the belly laugh. I find much quietly amusing and often laugh out loud. Life is very funny as we humans are an inconsistent and comical lot. I often laugh at my own stupidity.

I sense a theme here. Assuming from the site name the majority of gransnetters are female, then we mostly seem to like observational or intelligent humour of words. That leaves the granddads to the visual slapstick stuff - I have never understood the guffaws of laughter from things like You've Been Framed.

My type of humour. I was at an open mike night. One of the acts was a tap dancer, but unfortunately nobody told the poor man that the performance area was carpeted!!!
I was one of the first to start giggling and then everyone joined in with howls of laughter, but bless him, he carried on with the whole routine, what a trooper.

I can find something funny in almost every situation, life's way too short to be taken seriously!
Victoria Wood was wonderful and is much missed. I also loved Dave Allen, his total irreverence was a joy!
I don't find Ben Elton funny when he does 'stand up', so how he could have written something so brilliantly funny as Blackadder is amazing!

I like language based humour too and I laugh at the prize winning farmer who was outstanding in his field, every time.
Best of all I like quick wits like Lee Mack and my OH who can make me laugh out loud.
I like Have I Got News For You and would I Lie To You?
The Armstrong and Miller sketch with the two WW2 airmen is so funny. Also character comedies like Gary,Tank Commander and Still Game.

I also like puns, plays on words and witty humour like Yes Minister. I hate smut - using obscene words to raise a laugh I find repellent. I agree Victoria Wood was brilliant. I quite like observational humour like Michael McIntrye though i believe he is not popular with more 'cutting edge' comedians. Jo Brand can be funny too if she doesnt get too vulgar. Not keen on slapstick tho I agree to watch children laughing at it eg at pantomimes is a joy.

Love clever observational humour such as the late lamented Victoria Wood. Have been know to have to pull over in the car (safely) to listen to The News Quiz, especially Jeremy Hardy when he starts to rant about some political event or politician. Love Have I Got News For You, political satire when pompous politicians are mocked is always a winner with me. One of the best comedies was Dinner Ladies, great cast and a wonderful script, just when you are being lulled into comfortable humour, something sad will happen, just enough to pull you up short; now that is very clever (the great Victoria Wood again). Agree that Armstrong and Miller as the RAF pilots talking in 21st Century street talk is brilliant.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_b1Y-Rl_Uo

Hopefully the link above will work.....watch and laugh, hope this cheers everyone up as well as it did me!

I think I have a GSOH, and I like visual humour that makes me laugh out loud - I was looking for a birthday card for my s-i-l recently and picked up one with two dinosaurs marooned on a rock while Noah's ark is sailing away and one is saying to the other "Oh c**p! Was that today?" Matt is brilliant and I love the sheer lunacy of Far Side cartoons. I agree with those who lament the loss of Victoria Wood. I don't like slapstick at all, but having said that, there was a scene in the Tom Hanks film "The Money Pit" that was pure slapstick and made me laugh till my sides ached. However, in the sixties, we went to see Brian Rix in one of the Whitehall Farces and I couldn't get why people thought it was so funny . Horses for courses I suppose. DS and I always make each other laugh.

Funny how some people just push each other's laugh buttons. I don't see my brother often, but he can make me laugh so much, that I have to flee the room and try to compose myself. Usually with husband looking at me as if to say "It's not that funny".

Would I Lie To You is brilliant! One of the few tv programmes that make us laugh out loud. The current re run of Just Good Friends is funny and very amusing IMO. Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles are right up my street. There's a theme there! Family banter, trying to get the best pun in to a conversation and laughing about nothing in particular. Monty Python didn't do it for me I'm afraid.

I hate slapstick and blue jokes. I like observational humour - Peter Kay, Michael MacIntyre are my favourites. Also simply 'daftness' like Ken Dodd's humour.