When is it okay to laugh?
by special guest blogger & author Doug MacLeod
There’s a novel I’m writing. It’s about a boy called Adam and something terrible that happens in his life. He falls in love with a girl called Sam. That isn’t the terrible thing. His grandfather dies. Even that isn’t the terrible thing, though it’s certainly sad. The terrible thing is what happens at the funeral, which Sam attends with Adam. Soft music plays. The minister says some nice words about the grandfather. Then it is Adam’s mum’s turn to make a speech. She gets out of her seat. Only then does Adam notice that there is a bright pink ball stuck to her, adorning her backside like a bunny’s tail. The ball is one of those soft fabric ones with Velcro, and the mother has unknowingly sat on it. Before anyone else can see, Adam leaps up from his seat and lunges at the little ball, snatching it away. Unfortunately, he lunges too hard and knocks over his mother. At Grandpa’s funeral! Everyone is horrified, but no one is hurt. When Adam returns to his seat, deeply embarrassed, he finds that his girlfriend Sam is laughing. Really laughing. This is the terrible thing. Can Adam have a girlfriend who laughs at his grandpa’s funeral?
I like the beginning of this novel. Adam listens to his grandpa telling a story. (It’s an old story, so you might have heard it before.) A man was on the front porch of his house, working on his motorbike. The motorbike slipped into gear, ran over him then smashed through the front door of the house and ended up in the living room. The man’s wife took him to hospital. Meanwhile, the wife’s mother, who was staying in the house, remained behind and tried to tidy up the mess. When she saw that there was petrol on the floor, she mopped it up with paper towel then threw the towels in the toilet. The man wasn’t badly hurt, so they sent him home from the hospital. Depressed about his smashed-up motorbike, the man lit a cigarette then went to the toilet. He threw his lighted match into the bowl when he sat down. Ten seconds later there was an explosion and the man had to go into hospital again.
Now, I think that’s funny. You might think it’s funny too. But there will be a lot of people who don’t. In my novel, Adam’s girlfriend Sam does not think it’s funny. Will Adam and Sam have to break up because they laugh at different things? And is it okay to laugh at a funeral?
It’s very hard to write about what is funny and what isn’t. Everyone has a different opinion. Whenever I see my Uncle Jeff he always asks me what television shows I’m working on. Over the years I’ve been involved with shows like The Comedy Company, Fast Forward, Full Frontal, Big Girls’ Blouse, The Micallef Program, SeaChange and Kath and Kim. These shows have made quite a few people laugh. But whichever show I mention, Uncle Jeff always says, ‘I can’t stand that bleeping show.’ People have very strong opinions about comedy. If they don’t think it’s funny, they feel cheated. I’m sure Uncle Jeff doesn’t mean to be rude and upset me. He’s actually a kind man; a woodworker who makes candlesticks then gives them out as presents. But I confess that every now and then, I’m tempted to say, ‘I can’t stand your bleeping candlesticks.’
(Doug MacLeod’s next novel for young adults is The Life of a Teenage Body-snatcher, due from Penguin in June 2010. His most recent novel, which does seem to have made a few people laugh, is Siggy and Amber, another Penguin. For more information on jokes and books, please visit Doug’s website: dougmacleod.com.au)












by John Green