Isn’t it funny what’s not funny?
January 17, 2013 in Comment, General, Links
Cartoon © Ian Baker @ Procartoonists.org
Here’s a very funny cartoon. But why is it funny? Well, E.B. White famously said that “analysing comedy is like dissecting a frog; no one laughs and the frog dies”. So let’s not go there.
Instead, our eye was drawn to a blog post by the cartoonist Christian Adams, in which he simply provides a definitive list of what is funny and what is not funny.
Of course, you can still argue with it, and roll your eyes like Woody Allen in Crimes and Misdemeanours when Alan Alda opines: “If it bends, it’s funny. If it breaks, it isn’t”, but the important fact is that no amphibians were harmed during the making of this blog post.
And, even more importantly, you’ll find lots of cartoons that can definitely be classed as funny in the Procartoonists.org portfolios.
Latest Blog
Disclaimer: Any opinion expressed here is that of the named individual and not that of the UK Professional Cartoonists' Organisation unless explicitly stated. Artwork attributed to a named author or publication on this diary should be noted by anyone linking to us from any other site. Thank you. If you wish to reproduce an image please contact the artist from 
Tim Harries said on January 17, 2013
Not a bad list, though having just drawn an amusing cartoon about belts, I cannot wholeheartedly agree that braces are funnier.
I drew an idea a while back with a similar funny/not funny theme…
Bill Stott said on January 17, 2013
I don’t think its possible to say that any given situation/word/whatever is ALWAYS funny or unfunny.
Cathy Simpson said on January 18, 2013
Anteaters of all types (including pangolins) are funny. So are mudskippers. Just by dint of them being them, and being there.
Pete Dredge said on January 18, 2013
Some forenames are inexplicably funny…(apologies to) Derek, Nigel, Norman, Beryl, Gladys, Sidney etc
Bill Stott said on January 18, 2013
As are place names. Glossop. Goole. Peover.
Chris Madden said on January 18, 2013
Some surnames are inexplicably funny too. I’ve just read some comments by two of them above – but which two? I’m the third.
Chris Madden said on January 18, 2013
Funny place name: Piddletrenthide. Not funny place name: Sutton Coldfield
Bill Stott said on January 19, 2013
I’ve always had a sneaking admiration for those saddled with a wonky surname who don’t change it. Adonis. Pidcock. Smellie. Crapper. And a large plain girl I used to teach called Dolores Fish.
Chris Madden said on January 19, 2013
I believe that Mr Crapper leant his name to the subject to which his name has been leant, and thus shouldn’t be in your list Mr Stott, having been an innovatory plumber who much improved (though didn’t actually invent) the flushing toilet. He’s in the same league as Mr Biro and Mr Hoover. (I may be wrong, but I think that Mr Hoover’s greatest contribution to labour saving cleaning devices was to design one that would suck instead of blow.)
Bill Stott said on January 19, 2013
Semantics, semantics, Mr Madden .My point was that if I’d inherited a name like that, I wouldn’t have had the nerve to keep it. Or maybe its character building.
My dad was a policeman. One of his station’s inspectors was called Ball. Inspector Ball. His first name – honestly – was Claude.