On Humor

Humor is as multilayered a concept as any the human species has ever conceived of and a major part of that layering is the many reactions the said humor is capable of stirring in all of us. We could respond to it in many different ways and not simply with laughter. A humorist with a firm grasp on the areas of his or her choice would have a clear understanding of who can be reached and what is being said. And if I don't necessarily find it funny, it doesn't automatically mean I find it offensive. Perhaps it’s simply not my preferred kind of humor. I do not believe for instance that there is cause for me to be taken for a whiner simply because I watched an episode of "Last Man Standing," and personally disliked it. I think it perfectly reasonable to take issue with what I saw without begrudging the enjoyment of those who are fans of the show. Maybe it's not the supposed political slant of the writing and acting that I didn't care for. If I personally feel that the jokes are cheap and the contexts in which the characters operate neither particularly substantial or agreeably realistic, a genuine fan of the show does not have to take my perspective as a gesture of offense. I don't have to loose sleep over something like this simply because I felt the quality of this particular show easily stretches itself too thin. Perhaps its simply not to my taste. And if I can accept that a fan does see the humor as relatable in some way, surely that same fan can accept my perspective for what it is as long as I'm not truly imposing anything. That's just how humor is. From all angles it will attract some and turn others away. And that alone does not reveal where that same humor truly crosses a line where sensitivity and tolerance are concerned.