Hurray! It's World Laughter Day, which is designated as the first Sunday in May each year. This one is the best one of my life by far. I am now involved in three vocations/avocations designed to promote laughter among the masses--or even the select group of chosen ones who read this blog.
If you're a regular visitor here, you know I've been writing cartoon gags for years. I started as a young disc jockey for a part-time activity to occupy myself during commercial breaks. Coming up with a description of the cartoon, and the caption, submitting it to a magazine cartoonists, having them draw up the ones they selected, then send them to magazines for possible acceptance, and hopefully receiving a 25% share of the fee because they were sold. After many years of writing books and doing seminars, I got back to this gagwriting activity while in prison, doing a number of the Howard Huge gags for PARADE magazine, plus cartoon gags that eventually appeared in Saturday Evening Post, Playboy, Wall St. Journal, Harvard Business Review, etc.
Just recently, I've been focused on writing and performing some stand-up comedy, such as:
What does an atheist text instead of OMG?
Dogs now have their own Social Network called ButtBook.com
My girlfriend asked me the other night, after a bout of passionate lovemaking, "Was it good for you?" I said, "It must have been, it didn't even wake me up."
Computers are making newspapers obsolete. Unfortunately, it's very expensive laying a bunch of iPads on the floor to housebreak your dog.
Well, I didn't say I was the world's greatest stand-up comedian or comedy writer, but as a fledgling, I'm quite satisfied with the laughs I get.
Finally, I am fulfilling a longtime aspiration by working on writing and performing a one man theatre piece, which would be funny and serious reflections on my life, including my 12 years in prison, 2 years traveling with a girlfriend in a motorhome, 3 years living in a sex commune, 12 years as a broadcast journalist, and 25 years as a workshop leader and motivational speaker and author of six self-help books. My main task will be editing it all down from its current 47 hour performing length.
I've accelerated my plans for the one man show as a result of discovering the Marsh, two theaters--one in San Francisco and one in Berkeley--that develop, nurture, and present solo performances. I'm taking an eight week class starting in June with the highly acclaimed performer, director, and teacher, Charlie Varon. This will culminate in a twenty minute solo performance one evening at the SF venue. And this should give me an idea if my life is interesting enough to sustain an entire evening's entertainment the way I remember it, write it, and perform it.
So what can you do to celebrate World Laughter Day? CDs and videos of my shows are not available yet (check in 2012), but there's an awful lot of funny stuff online.
You could do worse (a lot worse) than the following three sites nominated for a Webby award as best humor websites this year:
Also, a site I was introduced to by friend, Richie Levine, who often performs on it, and always makes me smile or giggle:
Here's hoping your World Laughter Day goes on all year. Remember:
"Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you get your own reality TV show."
Jerry
On a more serious note, check out my other blog, focused on prosperity:
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