"Although your jokes are funny, please never say them again.” Upon hearing this the person suddenly began to laugh, just like how he began he stop. “Never.” The person formed a cheeky grin “though Jokes usually make people laugh, some don’t. But always have the same principal: leave you different than you first started.” “Jokes are supposed to make you laugh-“ the person wave their finger in front of my face “jokes like that is like eating ice cream: eat too much the taste goes bland and my tongue goes numb”
Got the idea off this:
-- Anon Guest
[AN: There's also the philosophy of satire aiming solely at the people who deserve it. If you're kicking someone while they're down, then you're not funny - you're a bully]
Comedy is a funny thing, and that's not meant to be taken literally. Knowing what's funny and where is a vital skill. Telling an accidental joke will get you further than attempting to tell a joke that will not sail in the local area. Consider the exploding outhouse versus the collapsing four-poster and the fish applied vigorously to another's face.
Once you're in the greater hub of the Galactic Alliance, the guarantee of a good laugh is harder to obtain. It takes real skill to be funny without hurting someone. The target should always be the willfully ignorant, those who steal from those who need, and those who refuse to learn.
"I'd never want to try humanitarian debate with a Deregger CEO. Just don't do it. Whatever you think your sins are, this is not the punishment anyone deserves," said Comedian Vresk. If there was any obvious target, it was Dereggers. "It's like there's a conspiracy theory for every occasion. It doesn't matter if they contradict themselves, so long as they're the smartest person in the room."
The audience was smiling. They knew where this was going and were eager to see how Vresk played it.
"You're trying to tell him - it's almost always him - that looking after his workers gets good economic results and he's always like, Show me the proof! Uh, how's the entire Galactic Alliance for ya, bud? Then he whips out, Oh that's because of your welfare nanny state. Uhm. That's actually called looking after your workers? Then they want to know who pays for this like it's the winning move in any game you like."
There was nodding. There were smiles. There were people elbowing each other. "Like, I get the cultural difference. Over in Deregger space the phrase 'get a job' is actually worth a meal in a soup kitchen. They have one day out of the year that the CEOs descend from their ivory towers to serve soup at the cleanest kitchen they can find. You know, so they look like a kind and generous person. What makes me wonder, though. What makes me really wonder... is what do all the destitute Dereggers eat for the rest of the year?"
That got a giggle. And one sour expression. Judging by the suit, and the pallid skin tone, and the shiny hair, Vrex had a Deregger in the audience.
"You're allowed to laugh, there, mister. Dereggers are everyone's joke. Especially the CEOs."
"Prove it," he heckled.
"All right. Okay. You're a CEO, right? It's not like any other kind of Deregger can get permission to travel. How many Hours did your Deregger currency buy? Twenty-four or less?"
Laughter from the rest. The CEO scowled.
"I'll take that to mean less. I bet you're taking advantage of all the free stuff we offer the down and out, right? Free shelter, free medical attention, free meals. You go to a Gyiik temple of Nyohmnahm you can have a free meal and even better, it's all you can eat," Vresk pointed out the CEO's expanding middle. Much to the enjoyment of others.
"No but seriously, you eat more in a month than most of your employees get in a year. If it wasn't for Nutri-food's no-frills baggie meals, all of your loyal staff would have died of malnutrition. By the way, they're supposed to get three a day, not one a day. But you've already ignored that reminder -what- twenty times already?"
Now the audience was oooh-ing at the takedown. "But I suppose you want me to make you laugh at you. That's harder, but not impossible. Let's see... You don't want weird alien folks marrying the same gender weird alien folks because it threatens the sanctity of your marriage, right?"
A cautious nod.
"Of course you are, of course. Marriage is the sacred bond between one man and his fifth trophy wife and maybe his perfectly legal harem of former wives because flakk if you're going to let her go and blab, right?"
A grudging smirk. A chuckle.
"Nailed it," crowed Vresk. "Everybody laughs when Vresk has the mic." All that was necessary for stand-up was to... stand up. The gift of any jester was to be able to tell the tyrannical despot that they were being a tyrannical despot and make them laugh about it.
Maybe, maybe, Vresk might even be able to make them learn.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / vector1st]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!
Send me a prompt [84 remaining prompts!]