Why so serious?

"Apart from that, did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" That one always gets a chuckle out of me. Some people don't get that joke. I don't know whether to attribute it to their disinterest towards history or their lack of common-sense. Of the ones who do get it, most of them don't like to laugh at it because they think it's insensitive. A friend of mine found it rather distasteful and I got an earful about respect for the dead. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm buried alive by a bunch of Yankees for repeating that joke. Would President Lincoln raise an eyebrow to it? I don't know. But I'd rather have a joke in my name rather than a statue in my honor.

As a child I would get into all sorts of trouble. And when I was being lectured by my mother, I would always make a silly joke or a smart-alec comment. This would drive my mom crazy and she would scream at the top of her voice, "Is this all a joke to you? Is life, a joke to you?" I never mustered the courage to say "Isn't it?" but deep down I always believed it. Life is a big joke that God is playing on us so the least we could do was laugh along because I'm sure he's up there looking at us fools and he's in splits.

This is a generation that has laughed its head off, thanks to the sarcasm of Chandler Bing and the buffoonery of Homer Simpson but I'm sure the whole family sits down to watch Tom chase Jerry around the house and enjoy the comic genius of a certain Mr. Chaplin. Laughter is something that can cross boundaries and generations. But making people laugh is no joke. Which is why I have the utmost respect for stand-up comedians and comic writers who make us laugh, show after show and episode after episode.

The world is full of people who can crack a joke but not too many who can take a joke. I have faced this problem all my life. In school, you have teachers who can really rip you apart with their sarcasm. But try giving them a taste of their own medicine and all of a sudden, you've got this attitude problem.In school, I had a thing for funny one-liners and against all warning, I wrote the following thought for the day – Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. While one teacher appreciated the humour, another went ballistic. 30 minutes and a moral lecture later, I realized that it is important to know your audience before you display your comic prowess. But I never really came to terms with that observation. I'm not sure how many of you have faced this problem but sometimes the joke needs to cracked. It's like a little person inside your belly screaming and kicking to get out into the world. In some of the most inappropriate situations, you come up with a joke and you're faced with the eternal dilemma. I can actually hear a priestly voice in my head saying "speak now or forever hold your peace". It's like the flatulence you hold in. Spares the others but makes you uncomfortable.

Unfortunately one man's humour is another man's humiliation. Today, you can be judged, reprimanded or even killed for what you laugh at. We live in an age where we need to be politically correct and people find it difficult to laugh at themselves. That in my opinion is a very respectable trait – to laugh at oneself. If you can do that, life will seem like a breeze. I'm reminded of a contestant on a personality contest. The massive guy that he was, a judge tried to get some humour into the conversation and asked him what his favourite bedroom line was. Pat came the reply "Honey, you better be on top". We all had a hearty laugh. Now that I think of it, it was his ability to laugh at himself which was more impressive than the joke itself.

We live in turbulent times and people often wonder what the world needs most in this hour of chaos. If some of the most beautiful women over the last few years are to believed, it is world peace. A religious man would say that it's Godliness. Most people would say it's tolerance and I agree. And if you can't tolerate a joke, there's not much you can tolerate.