What in the World Makes Priceless Humor Priceless?
Posted by admin on Nov 12, 2008
Stories have been told and retold for centuries throughout the world. Why? For one thing, they are entertaining. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even animal characters in stories act out the situations of our own humanity.
For centuries as well, life has been a struggle. Wars. Famine. Thorny relationships. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. Some kind of resolution.
At the same time, nobody likes to be preached to. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. That is where laughter comes in. It is the honey in the brew. Witty humor is priceless humor. A unique combination.
As you know, laughter lightens the heart. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). Call it priceless humor.
Look at the great humorists around us. Dave Barry. George Carlin. Russell Baker. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Mark Twain Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Painting scenes with priceless humor.
Priceless humor… what makes it priceless? There is a simple answer to this question. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The missed appointment. The comic situation. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.
The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless humor arises out of priceless situations.
You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Check out “Rock Soup” or “Herschel in the Woods” from my CD Fables in Four Minutes. Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories. There are many similar examples of priceless humor from virtually every country on the planet. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them. At www.jaystetzer.com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!
I listen to lots of conversations. They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!
There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. Why? Another simple answer. We learn best when we are laughing. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.
Other world stories are filled with mystery. Many world stories are insightful. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories contain lessons. All world stories keep us amused
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For centuries stories have been told and retold throughout the world. How come? Because they are entertaining, for one thing. Another reason is that they deal with the human condition, one way or another. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.
For centuries as well, life has been a struggle.
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You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.
For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message. It teaches by example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer.
Many folktales were cautionary tales with lessons for avoiding catastrophe. Stay out of the dark forest! Steer clear of wild beasts! Do not talk to strangers! On the other hand, reward and happy endings comprise many folktales. Good is eternally pitted against evil. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. No matter what the genre, a good world story brings meaning to the contemporary world as well.
Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.
Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial.
To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment. ” There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line. For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message. It teaches by example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious.
Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.
The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Conflict. Famine. Thorny relationships.
Something that the listener can relate to. Maybe there is a message. It might give the listener a suggestion of a new direction. It might even state a moral. It doesn’t really matter what name you give to this elusive quality; it is more important that the stories I tell possess it.
And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I anticipated that my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent. And I am always on the lookout for a unique gift children would enjoy. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving.
Something that points us a bit closer to our “true north. ” Something that gives us perspective.
Looking for inspiration? You can find inspirational stories and more at http://www. jaystetzer. com.
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As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word “nifty” when referring to a cool car or a great suit of clothes. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more “cultural” experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories.
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so.
Great information.
I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Southeast Asia. The differences as well as the similarities of the various countries impress me deeply.
You can find in every culture notions which they hold as sacred. The demonic can also be found. These notions appear regularly in their stories.
Actually, it was a listener who called my material “nifty stories,” and that comment sent me to the books. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
What’s so nifty about nifty stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment. ” There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.
Something that offers a little perspective to life.
Care for some inspiration? At http://www. jaystetzer. com you can find memorable inspirational stories. Go to the “Listen” page on the site and you will surely discover a number of stories with relevant messages.
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Wars. Pestilence. Relationship scuffles. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. A resolution of some sort.
Why? Because they are entertaining, for one thing. Another reason is that they deal with the human condition, one way or another. Even animal characters in stories act out the situations of our own humanity.
The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Wars.
“The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from the World Full of Stories CD are good examples of inspirational stories. From the CD Parking in Manhattan, “Service with a Smile” brings a great message to the listener. I find that inspirational stories stick in the memory long after they are told. I am even inspired by the inspirational stories I tell!
We live in a complex, fast moving world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us.
Holiday gifts. Birthday gifts. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I spent some serious hours searching for something unique, something meaningful. It was tough going most of the time.
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Which one appeals to you? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.
Nifty stories are stories that teach. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate.
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The lost keys. The comic situation. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.
The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. Listeners can readily find many humorous circumstances in my CD Parking in Manhattan.
Priceless humor their brush.
Priceless humor. what makes it priceless? There is a simple answer to this question. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The missed appointment.
Famine. Relationship scuffles. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. A resolution of some sort.
Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching.
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It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. One can learn many lessons from epic stories.
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Maybe there is a message. Perhaps it gives a hint of direction. There could even be an outright moral. The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.
As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories.
Thank You.
Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.
By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery.
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