Stop that, it's not funny.

I had been spending a lot of time reading "internet comedy sites" at work, thinking it was a fun way to kill time. I noticed, however, that I was becoming a negative person, a judgmental and crude person, and was often scared  by my own observations.

Let's take a couple of steps back. I like to think that I'm a pretty funny guy. I'd tell you a joke right now to prove it, but I'm really just not in the mood for that, but if you're reading this you probably know me, and you probably know if I'm funny or not, so I 'll leave that to you. But as I was reading these sites, I realized that their comedy just isn't funny.

I don't mean "not funny" in the way that, say, a Garfield strip isn't funny, I mean that these sites are cruel, hurtful, lazy, and just in bad form. Sites like somethingawful.com, viceland.com, thebestpageintheuniverse.com (or whatever it's called) and so on don't seem to know what comedy is. 

These sites, you see, are devoted to making fun of completely helpless people. They find people online, on the street, or in the public eye — people who are perhaps socially awkward or people who honestly have done nothing wrong or strange to anyone (on top of that in fact, I have seen extensive ridicule laid upon the mentally and physically handicapped) and proceed to mock them for the world to enjoy. It's cruel, it's not funny. And you know what? When it comes to comedy, it's just plain lazy. It's easy to make fun of someone, it's easy to insult people. That's why stand-up comics tell each other to make fun of the audience when they run out of material. Quick and dirty jokes that get a laugh.  

There are several types of jokes I am 100% sick of hearing. Men and women are different, we know. Sure it can be funny when used tastefully and sparingly, but women don't always love shopping 24/7 and men aren't always watching "the game." Extended comedy routines about the differences between African Americans, white people, and Latinos only encourage racism in my opinion. "Oh man, white people are like this, but black people are like this! HARHAHARHAHAHA." Thanks for belittling the thousands of people who fought for equality (this faux pas is committed by all races, I'm not singling anyone out.) Rednecks are people too, quick making fun of them. 

Now one might imagine a very small amount of comedic room left once I remove these common elements and tasteless insults, but believe me— there is so much more comedy, with such higher quality. Even slapstick can be done with brilliance. All I'm saying is work hard for a laugh, or if you're not the type, encourage those who do. Support well done character comedy (i.e. Arrested Development) over the easy cash ins (i.e. Meet the Spartans, which hit #1 at the box office. God cried that day). Remember, you often choose what you laugh at.