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The power of JOKES and Rhianon MDFF sneak preview
Thursday, 13 April 2006 11:46If there's anything that makes me really suspicious of the times we live in, it's the ever-growing list of things about with people will say "Don't even JOKE about that!"
It's a true slippery slope. It's not like constantly making zombie moves at a friend who got really freaked out by the George Romero movies. That's just mean.
What I'm talking about is above and beyond being sensitive or kind about a friend's quirks.
This is a list of things that "should not be joked about" that somebody somewhere keeps and somebody always feels like it's their sworn duty to enforce. Don't they realise that once on this list, things tend to stay, and that sooner or later nothing will be left that's allowed to be funny anymore?
That's why I am so grateful for the existence of Ren & Stimpy and South Park. They're on the front lines of the War Against The War Against Humor, taking back the world one tasteless insensitive, irreverent, stinky, juvenile joke at a time, doing it for all of us who cry at the steady extinction rate of things that are silly and joyous.
Anyway, I made a joke the other day, about the potential usefulness of extra buckets if we wind up with a surplus of them at MD Faerie Fest. We could drum on them around the bonfire I said. We could then use them to carry water to put out the fire that our excellent drumming caused to magickally grow out of proportion.
I was rebuked. Sorely rebuked that in this current drought that I should NOT even joke about exciting the Fire Spirits or the Fire Faeries lest this joke surely invoke a disaster that could ruin our event.
And my first thought was "Aw, come ON." It's not that I don't believe in the power of invoking. It's still really freaky to me how fire has responded to things I've done that had nothing directly to do with the fire on a physical level. I believe.
But to be afraid of JOKES? How sad is that?
And it's not like I don't believe in accidental invocations either. Been there. Done that. It wasn't so much fun. But to corrupt that lesson into a FEAR of Jokes?
Nope, that ain't gonna happen. Not on my watch.
My first repsonse to this on the list was kinda grumpy.
But then I figured out what NEEDS TO BE DONE.
If jokes are THAT powerful, instead of fearing that power, we should embrace it.
And good readers, that is what I intend to do, and what's more, I'm willing to make myself a human guinea pig to prove that Jokes As Invocation is a power that should not be feared.
Here's what you can do:
Tell jokes about ME. Lots of them. Post them, make websites, go on Letterman (or even Jerry Springer). The ONLY thing I ask is that the punchline of the jokes be:
"...and then Maug was paid 1 Million Dollars!"
Let's see how powerful "Jokes as Invocation" really is, shall we?
I will gladly split my million dollars 50/50 with whomever tells the funniest joke, once it comes true.
( Rhianon at MDFF sneak preview.- Very very cool! )
It's a true slippery slope. It's not like constantly making zombie moves at a friend who got really freaked out by the George Romero movies. That's just mean.
What I'm talking about is above and beyond being sensitive or kind about a friend's quirks.
This is a list of things that "should not be joked about" that somebody somewhere keeps and somebody always feels like it's their sworn duty to enforce. Don't they realise that once on this list, things tend to stay, and that sooner or later nothing will be left that's allowed to be funny anymore?
That's why I am so grateful for the existence of Ren & Stimpy and South Park. They're on the front lines of the War Against The War Against Humor, taking back the world one tasteless insensitive, irreverent, stinky, juvenile joke at a time, doing it for all of us who cry at the steady extinction rate of things that are silly and joyous.
Anyway, I made a joke the other day, about the potential usefulness of extra buckets if we wind up with a surplus of them at MD Faerie Fest. We could drum on them around the bonfire I said. We could then use them to carry water to put out the fire that our excellent drumming caused to magickally grow out of proportion.
I was rebuked. Sorely rebuked that in this current drought that I should NOT even joke about exciting the Fire Spirits or the Fire Faeries lest this joke surely invoke a disaster that could ruin our event.
And my first thought was "Aw, come ON." It's not that I don't believe in the power of invoking. It's still really freaky to me how fire has responded to things I've done that had nothing directly to do with the fire on a physical level. I believe.
But to be afraid of JOKES? How sad is that?
And it's not like I don't believe in accidental invocations either. Been there. Done that. It wasn't so much fun. But to corrupt that lesson into a FEAR of Jokes?
Nope, that ain't gonna happen. Not on my watch.
My first repsonse to this on the list was kinda grumpy.
But then I figured out what NEEDS TO BE DONE.
If jokes are THAT powerful, instead of fearing that power, we should embrace it.
And good readers, that is what I intend to do, and what's more, I'm willing to make myself a human guinea pig to prove that Jokes As Invocation is a power that should not be feared.
Here's what you can do:
Tell jokes about ME. Lots of them. Post them, make websites, go on Letterman (or even Jerry Springer). The ONLY thing I ask is that the punchline of the jokes be:
"...and then Maug was paid 1 Million Dollars!"
Let's see how powerful "Jokes as Invocation" really is, shall we?
I will gladly split my million dollars 50/50 with whomever tells the funniest joke, once it comes true.
( Rhianon at MDFF sneak preview.- Very very cool! )
