More Happy Dancing

I have found something else that's good for us. This is actually something I've known about for a very long time. It's one of my favorite things in the world, and I bet when I tell you what it is, you're going to think to yourself, well, duh - mine too.

At least I hope so. If not, then I would encourage you to consider the following essay with an open heart and mind and a serious commitment to at least think about it.

I am, of course, talking about ... laughter.

Was that what you were expecting? Probably not. I'm full of surprises, aren't I?

I got this in my Trivia ezine from ArcaMax today:

Are funny movies good for you?
Laughing is aerobic. It provides a workout for the diaphragm and increases the body's ability to use oxygen.

So here's my question. Do you laugh at least once a day? If not, why not?

I know what you're thinking now ... there are some days where life just hands you a load of junk and you are hard pressed to find anything funny in it at all. Right? Well, me too. But isn't that when you need it most? They say laughter is the best medicine, don't they?

Think about it. Even in the middle of the worst day of your life, there has to be something you can laugh about, even if it's just for a few seconds. Because when you look on the bright side of things, your whole outlook changes. You need something to lift your spirits, and anything that makes you laugh serves that purpose.

It has occurred to me that we probably need something to laugh about in the middle of this rather serious essay, so I'm going to do my best to accommodate you. Pardon me whilst I go trolling for some humor. I'll be right back.

So, it's taken me a little while, but I've found a few gems:

This is classic comedy at it's best: "Argument to Beethoven's Fifth," Caesar's Hour, 1954. Listed at #29 on the Nerve.com and IFC's list of the 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches of All Time, it's just a brilliant piece of entertainment featuring Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray - captioned thus: "Here, on live TV, without benefit of editing or retakes, Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray silently mime a domestic dispute whose crescendos and valleys perfectly correspond to classical music. It's brilliant, and there's not much more to say." Just watch.

And a little more modern but still classic - the "Went With the Wind" sketch from the Carol Burnett Show (#22 on the same list). Here's Part I, and then Part II. Oh. My. Goodness.

You don't really have to be a die-hard Monty Python fan (like the BF, the WMVR and I) to appreciate the humor in the fact that topping out this list, at #3 and #1, respectively, are The Argument Clinic and Flogging a Dead Parrot, two of my absolute all-time favorite comedy sketches.

And for those of you who are not MP fans, I leave you with what this list dubs the #2 greatest - although it could arguably take up its position at #1 depending on who's doing the ratings - the ultimate classic sketch harking back to the days of radio comedy, Abbott & Costellos' "Who's On First?":



There now. Don't you feel better?

There's always room in your schedule to do something that's good for you. So laugh! Or, read a book ...

=) JB