Tag Archives: comedy

BOOK: “Humor, Seriously” by Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas

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Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And how anyone can harness it. Even you.)Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life by Jennifer Lynn Aaker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Site

This book aims to bring humor into the workplace — kicking and screaming, if need be. (Or back to the workplace, depending upon to whom one talks.) The authors jointly teach a grad seminar at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business that addresses questions such as: Why is the corporate world so utterly devoid of a sense of humor? What are the benefits of bringing humor into a corporation? And, how can humor be introduced into a corporate setting without undermining other objectives — like taking over with suitable hostility and profitability and decent coffee in the breakroom (or, whatever, corporations are stoked about?)

This book addresses those questions along with more rudimentary questions such as what makes for funny and how can one be funnier than the average internal audit accountant. It also deals with more niche topics, such as the pitfalls of joking around — if you’re the boss — and how to make levity a component of corporate culture.

Like most books about humor that are designed for some other task than tickling the funny bone, one shouldn’t expect a laugh-riot. That said, neither is this a dry text on corporate communications. As I read, I sometimes felt the book tried too hard to throw in a joke and that a number of them didn’t land, but it also occurred to me that one of the book’s intended lessons is that one doesn’t have to be at a Chris Rock or Jim Gaffigan level of funny to engage in (and benefit from) a bit of corporate levity. (Ergo, some of the Dad Joke caliber groaners may have been on purpose and in that spirit.)

I enjoyed this book and felt it was a beneficial read. I’d recommend it for anyone interested in humor, particularly in the workplace.

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PROMPT: Underrated Movie

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What’s the most underrated movie you’ve ever watched?

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I don’t think Galaxy Quest got a fair shake because its science-fiction / comedy / parody melange did not seem the makings of a good movie. But I think it got its cult following in later years.

BOOK: “The Tao of Bill Murray” by Gavin Edwards

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The Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party CrashingThe Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party Crashing by Gavin Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher site – Penguin Random House

This book lays out Bill Murray’s philosophy of life as revealed by his quirky, daring, and spontaneous approach to living. Much has been made of the influence of the mystic philosopher G.I. Gurdjieff on Murray’s thinking. This background is discussed a little in Edwards’ book, but mostly this is a book that uses anecdotes from Bill Murray’s life to make a case for a philosophy of life that involves spontaneity, generosity, service, and connection. (Furthermore, it’s not clear to what degree Gurdjieff influenced Murray’s thinking, versus Gurdjieff’s ideas appealing to Murray because of the way the comedic actor already experienced the world.)

The author organizes the book around what he calls “The Ten Principles of Bill,” a set of ideas that Edwards argues can be seen cutting across Murray’s working and non-working life (and most of the stories are from his interactions with everyday people in everyday [but often unexpected] settings, and not from Murray’s acting work.)

I found this book to be highly readable and illuminating. The stories are funny but also offer a distinct approach to experiencing the world. I’d highly recommend this book for those interested in living a more spontaneous and rewarding life, or just those who like Bill Murray.

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BOOK: “Born Standing Up” by Steve Martin

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Born Standing Up: A Comic's LifeBorn Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – Scribener

Steve Martin opens this book, “I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success.” This book is about those eighteen years and the lessons learned about the comedic craft and what events drove him to it and what events drove him away.

The book is a memoir, with family drama and varied insights that come from life off (as well as on) stage. The book has pathos to temper its bathos, making an altogether more interesting and authentic read. Of course there’s humor throughout, from discussion of some of his comedic bits to humous personal stories.

I found it fascinating to learn about Martin’s philosophy of comedy. For example, his attempts to avoid punchlines to get away from the conditioned response laughs that came not necessarily from a genuine experience of mirth but because of a realization that it’s a time at which one is expected to laugh. Martin also has a unique message to tell given the nature of his comedy. It is not relatable. It’s silly — hilariously silly, but silly, just absurd and wacky. Like political comedy, one would expect a reduced size of audience willing to come along for the ride. That makes it all the more impressive to achieve what he did as a comic, because his type of work seems like it would have a smaller following than the comics who talk about family life and dating and office jobs and tax audits and their vaginas.

I enjoyed reading this book tremendously and would highly recommend it for readers with an interest in standup comedy (or those fascinated by the life cycle of celebrity.)

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PROMPT: Cry

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Daily writing prompt
What’s the last movie that made you cry?
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Tropic Thunder. Laughed myself to tears.

PROMPT: Love Now

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Daily writing prompt
What do you love now, that you hated when you were younger?
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Absurdity.

PROMPT: Laugh

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Daily writing prompt
What makes you laugh?
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Comedy… and select instances of tragedy.

BOOK: “Wisecracks” by David Shoemaker

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Wisecracks: Humor and Morality in Everyday LifeWisecracks: Humor and Morality in Everyday Life by David Shoemaker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher Site — U of Chicago Press

In this book, a Cornell University philosopher considers questions at the intersection of morality and humor, particularly with respect to digs, burns, and other forms of wisecracking humor. Shoemaker’s view is that generally these forms of humor are not morally questionable, but even where they are they can serve a social function. The book reflects in depth upon what might make a joke morally questionable and why it is unreasonable to accept the tautological argument that wisecracks are morally wrong because they poke fun at others. In addition, the book delves into what service wisecracking humor provides as well as investigating how the pros may outweigh the cons.

I suspect most readers will not expect a laugh riot from a book put out by a philosopher, and — in this case — they would be particularly right to not do so. The book repeatedly draws on a few examples, examples which are often of the inside joke variety (i.e. not hilarious to third parties.) But if you’re reading a philosophy book to laugh, you’re in the wrong place. One would also be wrong to think one has a minefield map, showing when, where, and how to safely wisecrack, by the book’s end. The author clearly recognizes the challenge of attempts to clarify the landscape. Whether he thinks he’s succeeded in doing so, I couldn’t say, but the landscape remained messy to my mind, even having completed the book.

I found the book to present some thought-provoking ideas. My interest did wane in the book’s second half as it came to feel a bit more muddled and repetitive, but all-in-all I thought it was a book worth reading — if you’re interested in philosophy, morality, and ethics.


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PROMPT: Performed

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Daily writing prompt
Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?
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Performed? Not yet. (Unless you count “Crowd Member Milling About [with No Lines] – #7” in an Elementary School Christmas Pageant.) Given a speech? Yes. Unless it is completely impromptu, it is nowhere near the top of my list of horrifying life events.

BOOKS: “Funny Stuff” ed. by Laura LaPlaca and Ryan Lintelman

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Funny Stuff: How Comedy Shaped American HistoryFunny Stuff: How Comedy Shaped American History by Laura LaPlaca
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher Site — Rutgers University Press

Release Date: May 12, 2026

As the subtitle suggests, this book explores the nexus between American History and comedy across many, varied media (i.e. writing, theater, standup, improv, radio, television, movies, etc.) It’s an interesting book, but I don’t know that it has the right title. Considering the title, a reader might expect a fuller coverage of American History, drawing on whatever humorous outlets existed at the time (e.g. op-eds and satirical articles.) This book is more of a history of comedic content in the US with a substantial discussion of how comedy addressed / participated in changing views on sex, race, and sexuality and with occasional mention of how comedy was involved in other social issues, such as changing views on free speech and expression. You’re not going to learn how comedic writers addressed Smoot-Hawley or the Sinking of the Maine. (i.e. The book leads with comedic content and leans the discussion toward societal influence [rarely toward policy influence.] It does not lead with historical events and draw on appropriate comedic content.)

The book covers a lot of the same ground as Kliph Nesteroff’s The Comedians, though with quite different emphases. Nesteroff focuses on the gritty underside of comedy and the oft unseen dark side of comedians, while this book focuses on comedy as a factor in changing views on race and sex [as well as on the changing technological outlets for comedy.] Funny Stuff does spend a little more time on pre-20th century America than does Nesteroff, but not much more. Both books are heavily weighted toward the late 20th century to present. To be fair, there is much more volume of comedic output in this period. (That said, there were artists I expected coverage of, e.g. Josh Billings, that weren’t included. That’s where the book seems more like a history of comedy and its varied outlets.)

If you’re interested in the development of comedy in America, and its influence on social issues — most extensively attitudes towards race — I’d recommend this book.

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