Is Humour Dead

[Jim Brady]

Have people forgotten how to laugh?Is there nothing to laugh about anymore?I recall that when the Docks where going strong and on the Dock Road and in all the pubs you would just hear laughter as somebody cracked a joke,or about something that had happened that day whilst working cargo.I reckon that I used to hear about four jokes a week and I'm talking about crackers.Since the demise of the Liverpool Docker I dont think that I have heard a joke for many years.I see a post on here and I throw a crack in that is as old as the hills.If you sailed with a Liverpool crew it was a laugh a minute.I do hear some forced laughter from time to time but nothing like the belly ache that brought tears to your eyes!!!!!
Regards.
Jim.B

[Kenneth Kenny]

Working for the O.P.S.Dischargeing Blue Funnel Ship one of dockers nick name was Olive Oil got fed up with the name this was about 1969,he said I'am going to see Captain Jones about this anyway he got told he would have to take a Shop Steward in with him,so he took Harry the Gob.the Captain said to name the dockers that's upset him,he said Tomato A'ase,Billy the Crab,The Sad Dog,Talking Horse,Lemon Drop Kid,and many more,the Captain Jones said go down and see the Welfare Officer.Beam Legs.True Story.Ken.

[Jim Brady]

Ken,I knew Olive Oil and Harry The Gob,Harry was a right Commo.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[John Arton]

Jim
The country is certainly a sadder place these days as even in big organisations the people working there do not seem to have anything about them to make up their own humour similar to all the nicknames that abounded years ago either on shore or on board.
The last few generations have been force fed a brand of humour on the T.V. etc from the so called new comedians that seems to rely more on bad language and sarcasm than real humour.
The ones that make me laugh are the likes of Billy Connelly and Peter Kay with their outlook and comments on modern life but to me the last true comedians were Morecombe and Wise and the two Ronnies whose script writers at one time included Eric Sykes. They did not need bad language to make us laugh, it was timing and play on words that had us in stiches.
The two Ronnies "Fork (four) Handles (candles)" sketch or the Morecombe and Wise Breakfast sketch set to the tune of the Stripper are and always will be classic comedy/humour.
rgds
JA

[Jim Brady]

John,you mentioned a couple of classics there and as you say no bad language.Tommy Cooper,Benny Hill,Dick Emery and Fawlty Towers to name a few.They insult our intelligence today by swearing,like us all on here we have all heard it before but i dont want this "titillation" in my living room.I never watch the present day what is called comedy I think the latest one that I could recommend would be "One Foot In The Grave". My wife always calls me Victor Meldrew like the character!!!
Regards.
Jim.B.

[John Pruden]

there is to many that think they are funny on the telly no slap stick anymore to politically correct all university types trying to be funny i don't think there is any good script writers anymore watch the likes of rising damp the script writer would be castrated by the civil rights brigade?jp

[Kenneth Kenny]

You are right Jim,he lived around by Gray Street,down below on a China Boat(ship) on real dirty cargo,we ask Harry the Gob(shop steward)to get us a few extra bob for the dirty cargo came back one hour later shouted down the hatch nothing down for you been watching and your working a tea break,shot up the ladder to see him and how could you see us with all the thick dust,the only como that never stuck up for the docker firms man never worked he was a checker.We had rats down the hatch,he said I will get to cats out the shed and send them down the hatch.Ken.

[John Pruden]

come around and listen to me and ted winding each other up on the summer nights you will go home with sore ribs?jp

[John Arton]

Jim
Wife and daughters all call me Victor Meldrew, cannot think why
rgds
JA

[Lou Barron]

Yes Jim i agree a sense of humour is what we should have more have .That is what we had in Changi Jail there were a lot of humour among us guys even on the ships i sailed on there was also a lot of jokes and some good belly laughs .Thats why i like the English comedy on the tv