Funny! Funny? Funny . . . .

I think it was circus clown Lou Jacobs, when asked something like "What's funny?", said something along the lines of "If the audience laughs, it's funny."

If I'm in the moment, doing that thing that the audience is laughing at, and I know what it is that I'm doing that's inspiring them - allowing them - to laugh, why can I sometimes not understand? When someone says with self-assurance that something is funny or they're doing it because it's funny, I take that with a healthy dose of salt, depending on the source.

If I didn't think so much, it wouldn't matter, but I also think that it wouldn't matter without the thought. I like to entertain people. I like to make space for people to laugh. Honestly, any time someone asks if I'm funny or asserts that I'm funny, my initial reaction is: "Well, I'm not so sure."

Just because the audience laughs does that make something intrinsically funny? Actually, reflecting on things, I think the question I'm thinking at the root of it all is: just because something works and makes the audience laugh, does that make it quality work?

I don't want to be one of those people who wastes his time or the audience's time being what he thinks is funny. I've seen people hold a room with simple, simple things that are the most awesome. I've seen people work who make it painfully obvious that their main goal is simply to be loved by the audience and to be the favorite part of the show for them. I've seen people work on something new or attend workshops to expand their education and abilities. I've seen people do nothing to expand their performing knowledge/ability base or who go to a show and have nothing but notes on it as if it were their job to be the director.

That's why going home in a number of days is such a good thing. Sure, I won't be making nearly as much and I won't be living in Japan, but aside from being closer to my family, there is that one thing. I will be in a place where I can expand myself and create, not growing stagnant or too comfortable.

And I can work on being funny.