I just watched this week's episode of "Parks & Rec" and the last scene made me laugh so hard that I cried. I actually had to stop the playback and rewind it -- my tears had blinded me. I don't want to give away what made me laugh so hard, but if you're a "Parks & Rec" fan, the ice arena scene is possibly the funniest scene ever made in what is already a consistently hilarious show.
This delightful experience got me thinking, about other shows or movies that have made me laugh that hard. It's not that common for me to laugh that much; I tend to find things very funny but not laugh out loud when watching. Laughing out loud is something I'm more likely to do at a show or when talking with friends. Still, I have some likely instigators: I love music-based humor (especially musical theatre humor, especially making fun of musical theatre humor) and I have a real weakness for unexpected physical comedy (as in the above discussed episode).
Yesterday, Roo and I were talking about the revival of AbFab. He watched an episode or two and thought it was funny, and I mentioned that it was a show I had never quite gotten. I find that so interesting about comedy -- what appeals to some doesn't to others, at all, yet almost everyone seeks to be amused at something enough to laugh.
When I pondered my own amusements (this was a really fun pondering), I came up with quite a few laughing until crying moments:
1) "Arrested Development" has made me laugh out loud several times (and subsequent re-enactments of scenes from it with Roo have continued to do so). I think the hardest I laughed was at the "It's not that kind of chair" episode.
2) Zoolander. Honestly, I don't even remember why I found this movie hilariously funny -- not to insult it, but I can't quote a line from it -- but I do remember that it was the first comedy we saw after 9/11 and we really needed to laugh. A lot.
3) Significant portions of Dumb and Dumber, from "It's ok! I'm the limo driver!" on.
4) The scene in Bowfinger where Eddie Murphy has to cross a four-lane highway.
5) The bridesmaid dress shop scene in Bridesmaids (which I did not expect to find funny, as I'm not a poop humor person, but oh! so funny!).
6) The bloopers/closing credits of Monsters, Inc. I should have mentioned that one of my other touchstones in comedy is animated/computer graphic/Muppets meta humor. This has this PLUS musical theatre humor. I laughed so hard, Andrew had to give me a tissue.
7) The "30 Rock" episode where they held a telethon to get Jack's dad a kidney, complete with a "We are the World"-style recording at the end. (Viva, Josh Groban!)
8) As previously referenced on this blog, the entire Tonto, Tarzan & Frankenstein's Monster Present series on SNL.
How about you? What's not just funny, but truly laugh until you cry funny to you?
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