I used to think Being Funny was some kind of biological trait that you’re either born with or not. My concept of funniness was pretty narrow; it was reserved for the smartest, most charismatic among us who don’t have to try very hard to draw a crowd. Upon reflection, I have found myself laughing uncontrollably at the hands of all kinds of funny people who are funny in wildly different ways. I’d like to shed some light on the traditionally- and non-traditionally funny alike in the hopes that you, too, might start laughing more.
(A disclaimer: I live under a rock and will not try to tell you the names of famous comedians, public figures, or relevant TV show characters who exemplify these styles. You’ll need to fill that part in yourself.)
We should start with the Classic Intuitive Genius, the kind of person who tries and succeeds at humor and is aware they’re doing it all the way. This is the person who has their pun-radar always switched on. They play the rapid-fire association game faster than you can keep up. In high school, they were really good at burns. In college, they wrote really good papers. This is the kind of humor I find the most impressive, but also, honestly…the least enjoyable? Maybe it’s because I’m always two steps behind them and feel a little jealous? In any case, they deserve their recognition (I guess).
Then there’s the Caricature Comedian. This unassuming normal person starts switching seamlessly into Australian accents and narrating their mundane moments in well-timed falsettos after you’ve known them for two months and THOUGHT you had them all figured out. They’re also skilled at expressing their humor physically, typically through sliding, moonwalking, loud gulping, and exasperated arm-flapping. Sometimes when I’m cooking and I don’t want to listen to music or the news or a podcast, I really wish I could queue up about twenty minutes of uninterrupted caricature comedy.
Some people are just Really Good Storytellers. Something I’ve never figured out how to do is recount a funny story without bursting into laughter before getting to the punchline. Really Good Storytellers have a way of playing up the ridiculous details and manipulating sentence structures to serve the climax of their story, all while holding in their own emotional response so the listener can experience it fully. Be warned! They are probably exaggerating and you should go to them for entertainment, not factual accuracy.
A subset of the Classic Intuitive Genius is the Dark Sarcastic Genius, a person who has the same ability as the Classic Intuitive Genius but turned out a little more emo. They don’t smile much, they hate small talk, and you get the sense that they are mentally preparing themselves for an imminent apocalypse. But when they drop a snarky comment in a bright bubbly crowd, people listen.
The Butt of the Joke is the person who was not trying to be funny but literally cannot help it. They act serious but wear brightly colored socks. They tell stories that no one can follow and add unnecessary flourishes because it genuinely reflects their experience. They stare at you and then give you a lopsided smile but eight seconds later than usual. To be clear, I’m talking about people who are neurotypical in most ways but simply have more idiosyncrasies—and less shame—than the average person.
Finally, there’s the Humor Herald (or the Imposter, if you want to be uncharitable). This is the person who manages to vicariously embody Being Funny without actually doing the funny thing themself. They just choose the right moments to laugh. Everyone else starts laughing more because this person’s laughter is inviting and contagious. They are the person who looks at you across the room and raises their eyebrows when something ironic or awkward happens, sending you both into fits of laughter.
(If you were one of the people I envisioned as I was writing this—thank you.)
Michal graduated from Calvin in 2022 with a major in writing and a minor in global development studies. She’ll be working with a refugee resettlement organization in Hungary for the 2022-2023 year. She is always up for a spontaneous trip to the closest beach.
