I was thinking the other day how much I used to laugh when I was younger. Well not just when I was a kid it was a habit that still happens today.
Once I visited a friend in London while he was at university and we had visited some friends in the halls of residence. Nothing out of the ordinary apart from when we got to their room they had a problem which they were trying to fix.
One of the legs of the bed had come loose from the bed spring base. The people were trying to fix it and thought it was possible that the two pieces of metal could be welded together with a lit match. Seriously, or not so. They were deadly serious and thought that they could do it. I know I was only about 22-23 at the time and I knew it was utterly futile. The fact that they kept trying made me laugh. A lot. The sort of belly laugh that hurts and your eyes stream with tears.
Each time I thought of it I laughed. Even now over twenty years ago it still makes me chuckle to myself. Laughter is an amazing thing. Obviously, it released all sorts of chemicals in the brain and its great for physical health reducing blood pressure.
I have always loved comedy. Loads of stuff that I see and hear these days don’t make me laugh. The Michael McIntyre comedians are dull and uninteresting so many so-called comics are making a lot of money out of poor unintelligent comedy that’s badly thought out and badly written. Observational comedy has been done to the death and laughing at someone who cannot find the keys in the house is terrible.
There are not many people in life that can make me laugh. Victoria Wood was one comedian and writer who could. Her intelligent wit and style broke moulds for women in comedy. For anyone to write, act and produce such amazing comedy takes a genius and she is certainly missed by many.
I adore the traditional comics like Dick Emery, Les Dawson and Morecambe Wise. All of them honing their trades in tough working men’s clubs throughout the country before making their fame on television.
Kenneth Williams once said ‘What happens if we find out that life is just a joke … well, let’s make it a good one’.
fredspoon 