#169, Jest
So the first rule of dating is: Never risk direct contact with the girl in question. Your role model should be the nuclear submarine, gliding silently beneath the ocean surface, tracking an enemy target that does not even begin to suspect that the submarine would like to date it.
-Dave Barry
Laughter is a rather peculiar human habit. It occurs spontaneously and frequently its causes are indescribable. Oh, your friend tripped and is now bleeding on the sidewalk? That's hilarious notes your brain. Oh, the video camera is recording and now it's time to be serious? That's uproarious notes your brain.
Not all humor is so mysterious though. There are particular common elements in humor, some of which we investigated this week in class. Those elements included (a) irony, (b) impossible event, (c) absurd comparison, (d) hyperbole, (e) informal language, and (f) not saying what you mean. The works of Dave Barry, noted comedian and author, illustrate these elements of humor wonderfully. The two articles we read Breaking the Ice and Alaska: Grin and Bear It contain several excellent examples.
To complete this Journal response,
Imagine that you are a columnist for The New York Times. Write a humorous advice column about how to ask out a girl or boy. Use at least three of the six elements of humor in your response. List them at the top of your response.
(a) irony, (c) absurd comparison, (f) not saying what you mean
Ahoy there, tween! Here is some life advice for how to ask a boy out. This is a very difficult and awkward subject... So to make it simple, just think that the boy is a carrot. All thin and wobbly, just like their heart when they see you. (throws up) sorry, I'm not used to talking about this mushy gushy stuff...
Comment on a peer's response.
-Brenden Lee Teacher
yesterday afternoon i told my daughter that i’d hatched her from a crab egg, and would return her to the icy sea at the first sign of insolence