If two people are technically knowledgeable and competent, if they
both know the right buttons to push, it can be extremely pleasurable.
But that’s nothing compared to the intensity that results when two
people make love. I think when you’re making the audience laugh,
your having sex with them. But if you’re sharing a laugh with them,
you’re making love. And you can feel the difference in the
interaction.”
“Interesting analogy,” I mused.
“I’ve watched you all this week. You’re working too hard at
it, son. (I loved it when he called me son. At that point in my
comedy career, he was the only comedian I had worked with who
was older than me.) The effort shows. You’re not having any fun,
and when you aren’t having fun, the audience isn’t either. It’s really
more important to have fun than to be funny.”
Hey, who’s the doctor here?
When you stop to think about it, there is a huge difference
between having fun and being funny. Funny is a behavior calculated
to provoke laughter. Without laughter the effort has failed. Not
everyone has the skill to be funny (You know who you are). But
more important, funny has relatively limited applicability. In many
situations, laughter is inappropriate and unwelcome.
On the other hand, fun is not a behavior. Fun is pure energy,
reflecting a certain attitude—willingness. Having fun is never
inappropriate. It is a personal choice, a private experience. Whether
or not to share fun with others is a separate decision.
Every one of us knows how to have fun. We were born with
this precious gift hardwired into our brains. As children, we have
fun naturally. The average 5 year-old laughs 250 times a day. Observe
a group of youngsters playing and you will undoubtedly hear
laughter. Are they being funny? Think about it. When was the last
time a preschooler told you a good joke? These kids know nothing
about being “funny” and everything about having fun.
We adults were once that way. But then we went to school,
where the systems inevitably stifled and suppressed our natural gift
of laughter. Do you rem ember how your teacher reacted to your
playful nature? “Wipe that smile off your face;” “What are you,
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