LOL!
What is the science of funny? What makes us laugh? I feel like it IS mathematical and that most equations have surprise as one of the components. I'm trying to win this damn Funny or Die caption contest and I've tried almost every day! The ones that win are always really funny, but it's hard to predict what people will vote as "Funny" or what they will vote as "DIE" when you're the one writing it. Someone could just tell me they didn't think it was funny and that's TOTALLY COOL, I just feel disheartened seeing the unclever captions that have something dirty in them get more "Funny" votes than my clever but maybe not hilarious ones. Sure, I think that the people who want to win might vote "DIE" just to make their chances better, but for the most part is all seems genuine. You can't vote for yourself.
I guess I just care too much about it because I've been writing lately. It's a long time coming and I know in twenty years I'll be mad at my younger self for not trying harder right off the high school boat when it comes to working harder. I want to pound the door in at UCB and be part of them SO, SO MUCH. This funny chick Angela who does a comedy duo with her friend Fran just emailed me back today about the business we call show. She's all over the place and is in the movie He's Just Not That Into You with Fran. Anyway, she gave me a huge reality check about the power of doing your own shows and writing with the help of a comedy fanbase and community (like UCB) to get you exposure. She says that 95% of the things she's doing has something directly related to her improv training at Second City or from her own writing that she put on the table and got recognized for by the comedy community in LA. WOW, so cool of her to give me all that advice! And her boyfriend is HAAAWT! Yum, Douglas! Remember Douglas at Jonathan Richman, Sam? Like a grey haired Trent Reznor? Mmmm. Anyway...
I'm writing two sketches right now that are intended to be made into YouTube videos. Pairing up with Sam Proof is awesome possum and lucky; He has 6,000 subscribers to his YouTube show and actually gets shit done! He's one of my current heroes. The first one I'm writing has a hostess advertising a fine dining establishment's services for February 13th, or "Take Your Mistress To A Restaurant Day." More on that later, after I write the damn thing. Too many ideas that I shouldn't all cram into that...the menu with things served "on the side", the day after when the same guy brings his wife, me playing the hostess and winking super-obviously, double-entendre's... The second sketch is one BIG double entendre. Sam, you will be happy to know that the idea came to me IN A DREAM. (= It's about two girls talking and it comes up in conversation that one of them has never LOL'd. The entire video is treated as if they were talking about orgasms. Her friend tries to help her LOL because every woman should be able to make themselves LOL. Sam, for one part I want the girl to open a box that says "these toys might help..." and have it filled with the funniest, stupidest Wall Mart and Japanese toys we can find.
I went on an audition today for a Motorolla print ad and had 20 mins. left on my meter, so I went to Red Ribbon and had my first Halo-Halo. I like gelatinous, grainy Phillipino treats! So here's a link to all of my previous Funny or DIE captions. Right now, my latest caption is voted the 6th funniest out of 400 comments, which is awesome. I don't even think it's that funny; I'm just playing with the name of the Cayman Islands. The other two that came really close are the Daytona one and the nipple play one, even though I think the fat lady, Bruce Springsteen, and Ratface ones were just as clever.
http://www.funnyordie.com/renie/posts