Response to Thompson's The Kentucky Derby is Decadent

I honestly didn’t find Hunter Thompson’s The Kentucky Derby is Decadent. I thought it was way too crude, and although I can find crude humor funny a lot of times, I didn’t think there was really anything funny about the story. I’m not sure if it was just because I just didn’t understand the story the way I was supposed to, because I do admit to being a bit confused about what it was even about and what was going on. I guess I really didn’t even see a point in the story either, and it kind of made me bored. I wouldn’t say the story made me uncomfortable in the fact that it was so raw, but more annoyed than anything else. It was kind of one of those things where I found all the cussing and impolite terminology to be unnecessary.

I also must admit that my Texan pride was a little hurt at the way he described Jimbo, especially because he was from Houston, which is where I was from. I think that is just a Texas thing though, where we don’t like to hear that we are a little dumb and oblivious to the rest of the world at times. 

Second Meeting with Paula

Today was the first time Paula and I actually had lunch together. We both found that we share similar tastes in food, and we shared where and what we liked to eat, which was interesting.

A lot of times throughout our conversations Paula will ask me if she is saying or pronouncing things correctly. Today she said what many people who are learning English as a second language would say: that the language makes no sense. This got us laughing, because even to me, the technicality of English doesn't make sense a lot of times. This took up most of our conversation, and it reminded me of Anguished English, and how the English language can be so easily misinterpreted.

3 Most Important Things to Remember from Comic Relief

1. There are many theories as to why we find certain things funny and why we laugh
I thought this idea was pretty apparent throughout the book. Although it seemed redundant at times, Morreal proved time and time again that no theory was really wrong, and that each theory held some truth. It is interesting to find out that there are so many psychological, emotional, and physical reasons why we laugh and find things funny, and I think Morreal pointing this out is important. I have noticed myself laughing and have lately been more curious enough to ask "Why am I laughing at this?" or "What part of that event made me laugh?" Many times I am able to answer my question with one of the theories Morreal described in his book. Some of the biggest theories I have noticed in action are those dealing with cognitive shifts, which brings me to my next point.

2. Cognitive Shifts
Ever since reading this book, however much I did not enjoy it, I cannot help but notice the patterns of humor, especially when it comes to cognitive shifts (it actually drives me kind of crazy sometimes). I can't help but look for them, and they truly are everywhere. I believe I notice them more often because out of all of Morreal's theories, they are the most logical to me. I especially see them in TV shows that I watch, and notice that events where cognitive shifts occur are those that make me laugh the most. I also realized that sometimes, cognitive shifts do not make us laugh, they make us angry. It made me think, "What made this situation funny, and that one not?" Again, I find myself thinking about the process of humor more often because of Comic Relief.

3. Humor provides social connection, and serves as a means of relieving a community
One of the most powerful things I read in Morreal's book was the idea of positive effects of humor. I enjoyed the part about humor in the Holocaust, because I really admire the way a community can take such a negative event and make it more enjoyable. I believe humor and comedy can connect a society, whether it be against against an opposing force, or just to each other. I believe this is true for most cases, although sometimes the humor can be malicious towards the other group. Either way, I think it is important that Morreal pointed out the social impact humor has on a community because it is a very strong one.

First Meeting with Paula

Today I had my first meeting with Paula, who moved from Columbia three years ago to be with her husband. I was pretty nervous for our first meeting and wasn't sure how it was going to go, but she didn't seem nervous at all. She had a big smile on her face and seemed excited about our conversation.

Within a few minutes of talking, Paula and I connected on many things. We talked about the school system in Columbia and how different it was here. We also talked about a lot of other differences between Texas and Columbia, like the way people behave and what seems to be the norm in each culture. She was extremely interested in the way things work in the United States, such as the school system, and was interested in what I like to do, both in school and during my free time.

Although we didn't really talk about humor specifically, we both found various things in our conversation funny. A lot of the things we laughed at had to do with how different her culture was from mine. She told me little embarrassing moments she has had while living here, and said it was because of the extreme differences in social norms. One thing we laughed about was how she has a hard time not being so physically close to people, like when she is speaking. She said it is hard to not stand so close because in Columbia and other cultures like it, standing very near one another is common and acceptable, something that is much different from here, which she learned through experience.

Overall I enjoyed my conversation. Just in a little over an hour, I had a new perspective of both my culture and hers. It's easy to say that I am excited for our future conversation and what we will both learn from it.