Comments on: Crippling my wit http://electrolicious.com/2007/02/crippling_my_wit Daily affirmations of a word mercenary Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:44:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: KG http://electrolicious.com/2007/02/crippling_my_wit#comment-7698 KG Wed, 14 Feb 2007 02:21:07 +0000 #comment-7698 I agree! Inside jokes are one of the great joys of life — between or amongst the people who are in on them. I love the phrase, "Speaking each other's unspoken language." It's so delicious to look over at a friend, have a psychic email with each other about an inside joke, start laughing hysterically in unison, then give each other a few codewords just to make sure we are indeed laughing about the same thing, and that find out, of course, YES, WE ARE!!! Successful (public) comedy taps into not only shared cultural train wrecks (like Hilton and Haggard) but a shared human experience. Think of "Cringe" and your own readings in Seattle — these are the ultimate in personal readings, but they are incredibly INCLUSIVE. They celebrate common experience, so everyone can be in on them. By reading them aloud, they move from the inside joke with oneself to one that everyone can laugh at. That's also why only the really brave with really strong egos can share bits of themselves and laugh along with those laughing at and with them. I agree! Inside jokes are one of the great joys of life — between or amongst the people who are in on them. I love the phrase, “Speaking each other’s unspoken language.” It’s so delicious to look over at a friend, have a psychic email with each other about an inside joke, start laughing hysterically in unison, then give each other a few codewords just to make sure we are indeed laughing about the same thing, and that find out, of course, YES, WE ARE!!!

Successful (public) comedy taps into not only shared cultural train wrecks (like Hilton and Haggard) but a shared human experience. Think of “Cringe” and your own readings in Seattle — these are the ultimate in personal readings, but they are incredibly INCLUSIVE. They celebrate common experience, so everyone can be in on them. By reading them aloud, they move from the inside joke with oneself to one that everyone can laugh at. That’s also why only the really brave with really strong egos can share bits of themselves and laugh along with those laughing at and with them.

]]> By: Sean Shannon http://electrolicious.com/2007/02/crippling_my_wit#comment-7700 Sean Shannon Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:54:34 +0000 #comment-7700 I think inside jokes are as natural a development in a community as turns of phrases or new words. I don't think they're anything more than the natural development of any self-identified group, although I do think that, in the presence of people outside of that group, people need to pay more attention to the phrases they use to make sure that other people "get" what they are saying. That being said, these days I feel like all that exist in the universe these days are inside jokes, and that I don't get any of them. I think inside jokes are as natural a development in a community as turns of phrases or new words. I don’t think they’re anything more than the natural development of any self-identified group, although I do think that, in the presence of people outside of that group, people need to pay more attention to the phrases they use to make sure that other people “get” what they are saying.

That being said, these days I feel like all that exist in the universe these days are inside jokes, and that I don’t get any of them.

]]> By: amy http://electrolicious.com/2007/02/crippling_my_wit#comment-7697 amy Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:19:27 +0000 #comment-7697 Inside jokes are one of the great joys of life -- they can help cement a relationship, a group of friends, a community... That said, they should never be aired in front of outsiders. It's just rude to make jokes other people have no hope of getting. Inside jokes are one of the great joys of life — they can help cement a relationship, a group of friends, a community… That said, they should never be aired in front of outsiders. It’s just rude to make jokes other people have no hope of getting.

]]> By: Denise http://electrolicious.com/2007/02/crippling_my_wit#comment-7699 Denise Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:31:44 +0000 #comment-7699 Maybe those "remember the time..." jokes are a bit exclusive, but I prefer the kind of inside jokes you and Andreas have. They aren't meant to be exclusive, but it just happens that no one else was there when it became funny, and explaining the circumstances around it to others is way too much work for a little comedy. I think half the reason I'll never leave my boyfriend is that I don't want to have to explain all those fun inside jokes to a new person to make them funny again. Okay, okay, maybe not half. 25% ? Maybe those “remember the time…” jokes are a bit exclusive, but I prefer the kind of inside jokes you and Andreas have. They aren’t meant to be exclusive, but it just happens that no one else was there when it became funny, and explaining the circumstances around it to others is way too much work for a little comedy. I think half the reason I’ll never leave my boyfriend is that I don’t want to have to explain all those fun inside jokes to a new person to make them funny again. Okay, okay, maybe not half. 25% ?

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