Of late, the world has seemed a much less funny place to me.
Take the virtual world, for instance. The cyber- universe was once full of rickrolling, hoaxes, and painfully funny jokes that were even funnier because most people didn’t get them. Now, the closest thing to an attempt at humour is the annoying new Facebook memes that keep popping up every other day. No, I do not find labelling people in vague photographs with several Hello Kitty look-alikes amusing, and nor do I like sending out chain letters with twenty five lines of ‘About Me’ on them.
And don’t even get me started on why I dislike LOLcats. For one thing, I don’t think I’m nearly nerdy enough to like them.
Of course, a person can always escape the confines of the virtual world and explore the entity called real life. My life, for instance, is full of people who make fun of me, and people whom I make fun of. It’s a bit like a food chain within my species. But the unfortunate bit is that nobody rips on me anymore. I mean it- people no longer wish to make fun of guys who wear glasses, own a pair of Spider- Man undies and prefer milk to coffee.
And it isn’t just about making fun of people. I really cannot remember the last time somebody ran up to me, bursting to narrate a joke or incident. Even television has failed to deliver: all the comedy series are boring, South Park is airing some ancient episodes I’ve seen a hundred times, and Cyrus Broacha has all but disappeared from television.
The world seems to have gotten bad enough, but worse news follows the above: even sportsmen have lost the ability to amuse. I miss the on- court and interview room dramatics of Ivanisevic and Safin, as well as every single McEnroe- Roddick interview, not to mention Agassi, who once shaved his chest claiming, “It makes me more aerodynamic.” And no, that mongoose who won Australian Open last year isn’t very good at being a Joker.
So why is it all happening to the world now? Is it the recession? Does every one of us have someone dear to oneself who has had to suffer because of it? Rubbish. People tend to want to be happy in hard times. They need lightening up, and they try their best to put up a brave, happy face.
Then is it because humans have become so used to humour that we can no longer find anything new or funny? No, that’s not it either.
Then is it because I’m pissed at my work? Yeah, may be so.
Never mind if I said anything.
