There are humorists, conversely, whose jests come at the expense, mostly, of themselves. Childhood was funny to them; childhood was a boon. They grew up awkward or they grew up confused, and anyone who happens to stand in their wit's way has (it's clear) been tenderly assessed. They will be getting ice cream later.
I prefer Humorist Type 2, and Haven Kimmel is a star among them. Consistently funny, highly literary, surprisingly facile in her rhythms and subject matters. For those looking for something to do on this hot-across-the-country day, I recommend her deservedly famous memoir, A Girl Named Zippy. You'll forget that you are sitting alone by the window fan, your lemonade glass empty. You'll stop praying for a breeze.
A passage to get you started lies below. Before I get to that, though, I feel that I must say this: I love the little girl above, whom I snapped one day at an event. The only thing she has in common with Haven's description below is that she is, obviously, a dear, dear thing.
We tried a variety of hairstyles in those early years. The really short haircut (the Pixie, as it was then called) was my favorite, and coincidentally, the most hideous. Many large predatory birds believed I was asking for a date. I especially liked that style because I imagined it excused me from any form of personal hygiene, which I detested. I was so opposed to bathing that I used to have a little laughing reaction every time a certain man in town walked by and said hello to me and I had to respond with "Hi, Gene."
After a year as a Pixie, my sister decided what my hair needed was "weight." Melinda executed all the haircutting ideas in our house and, in fact, cut off the tip of my earlobe one summer afternoon because she was distracted by As the World Turns.
The weight we added to my hair made me look like a fuzzy bush, a bush gone vague.....
1 Comments on Making Funny Count (And Avoiding the Nasties), last added: 6/30/2012
Display Comments
Add a Comment
I’m never amused at comedians who poke fun at others. It borders on meanness, and I don’t find anything funny in it.
But this Haven Kimmel (a new name to me) sounds as if she’s got the right idea. And I definitely sympathize with girls who have difficult hair!