Saturday, February 12, 2011

Funny T-Shirts That Make Use Of The Absurd

By Tommy Thatcher


Humor is a way for people to relieve stress. Laughing is just as instinctual and natural as sneezing, coughing, and farting. No one sits back and consciously thinks, "I believe I shall laugh now." It is something that just happens when the right stimulus is introduced, much like pepper to a sneeze. Of course, the same stimulus does not work on everyone. Some people like a certain type of humor while other people enjoy something completely different. Our laughter is hardwired, and mine comes from the absurd. Funny t-shirts that center on this type of comedy are right up my alley.

The very act of wearing funny t-shirts is something like an absurd, social experiment. Why not take it one step further and actually wear a t-shirt that focuses on the absurd? Absurdity is an art that is difficult to master. Just saying something that is obviously untrue does not necessarily mean it is funny. That statement of absurd untruth needs to also have a deeper meaning that reveals truth. Truth from untruth is an absurd statement, but at the same time it is also what absurdity is all about.

This blind faith in the observer's ability to find your funny t-shirts humorous is why I dig the obtuse and the absurd. Even if someone doesn't laugh outright, I find that puzzled expression to be just as good as an outright laugh. The great thing about absurdist humor is that it makes the recipient's brain change gears very suddenly. The result is just as fun for the joke giver as the one getting it. Telling someone the sky is purple, just to see them surge up with the response, "No it is not!" is gratifying to me.

There was a French playwright in the 1950's named Eugene Ionesco who was labeled an author in the Theatre of the Absurd. His plays were insane gibberish that spoke on social issues and the lack of communication amongst people in everyday speech. Considered a great playwright by the theatre community, he did some great work that is still performed to this day. With plays full of such insanity that you can't help but laugh in confusion, I wonder what Ionesco would have worn absurd, funny t-shirts today just like I do.

Whatever your take on the art of absurdist humor, the funny t-shirts that follow this type of comedy always make me smile. Do yourself a favor and seek these t-shirts out online. They will make you smile and brighten your day. When sane people are faced with insanity, their first response is usually to smile uneasily. It is a coping mechanism that allows us a moment to process the absurdity before responding vocally. For people like me, that vocalization is usually in the form of a laugh.




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