Comedy is hard.
An English pun or a Hungarian double entendre
doesn't translate very well into German or Chinese.
Funny stuff doesn't preserve very well either.
Neolithic man didn't leave behind
a great deal of fossilized humor.
An English pun or a Hungarian double entendre
doesn't translate very well into German or Chinese.
Funny stuff doesn't preserve very well either.
Neolithic man didn't leave behind
a great deal of fossilized humor.
What looks odd or peculiar
in antique ephemera we can guess at,
but we will never know for certain
just how amusing it really was.
The silly or childish things
that we see in bygone art
seem easier to discern,
but can we recognize actual mirth?
in antique ephemera we can guess at,
but we will never know for certain
just how amusing it really was.
The silly or childish things
that we see in bygone art
seem easier to discern,
but can we recognize actual mirth?
We think we see
the ridiculous absurdities of fools,
but if we are honest,
the farce that once appeared
so hilariously comical,
so humorous that it produced more
than just a chuckle or a guffaw,
but uncontrollable shrieks of laughter,
that joke is invisible to our eyes.
the ridiculous absurdities of fools,
but if we are honest,
the farce that once appeared
so hilariously comical,
so humorous that it produced more
than just a chuckle or a guffaw,
but uncontrollable shrieks of laughter,
that joke is invisible to our eyes.
Somehow we never get the punchline.
Which is why comedy
is the most ephemeral of human sentiments.
is the most ephemeral of human sentiments.
Two comical characters stand in front of a white panel.
A kind of Chinese sage seems to be instructing a foppish dandy
about a series of twelve dots on the panel.
A kind of Chinese sage seems to be instructing a foppish dandy
about a series of twelve dots on the panel.
The postcard's caption reads:
Le Clown dessinateur — Proposition
~
The Cartoonist Clown - Proposal
The Cartoonist Clown - Proposal
The postcard's sender has added a date 26.6.05 on the panel board.
It seems that these two French music hall clowns
are setting up a puzzle joke or a magic trick.
They were probably featured on a series of postcards
that were produced as souvenirs for a theater or circus act.
If I ever find a full set,
they might offer more clues to the clowns' skit,
but the actual funny business will have to remain
a mystery to us in the distant future of 2021.
are setting up a puzzle joke or a magic trick.
They were probably featured on a series of postcards
that were produced as souvenirs for a theater or circus act.
If I ever find a full set,
they might offer more clues to the clowns' skit,
but the actual funny business will have to remain
a mystery to us in the distant future of 2021.
The postmark of 28 June 1905
identifies the sender living in the commune Confolens
in southwest France, which is a rural city located
at the confluence of the Vienne and Goire rivers,
hence its name.
The recipient was Madame Andre Pallier
of Saint-Priest-Taurion, a commune
in the Haute-Vienne department, east of Confolens.
identifies the sender living in the commune Confolens
in southwest France, which is a rural city located
at the confluence of the Vienne and Goire rivers,
hence its name.
The recipient was Madame Andre Pallier
of Saint-Priest-Taurion, a commune
in the Haute-Vienne department, east of Confolens.
The grim message on the back
makes an ironic case for how
the corollary to "Comedy is Hard",
is that "Death is Easy."
makes an ironic case for how
the corollary to "Comedy is Hard",
is that "Death is Easy."
Notre malade est toujours
dans le meme état, elle ne
garde absolument rien pas
meme l'eau sucree; nous la
soutenons par des lavements
nutritifs. Vous avons
une religieuse de l'Espérance
depuis Lundi soir, comme
cela nous sommes plus tranquilles
la nuit. Le docteur nous
dit que cet état peut se pro-
longer encore longtemps.
Nos amitiés à tous autour de toi.
mes meilleurs baisers pour
toi et Vovoune
Our patient is still in the same condition,
he/she keeps nothing down,
not even sugar water;
we support him/her through nutrient enemas.
We've had a nun from l"Esperance [name of a hospital?]
since Monday evening;
that way we are calmer at night [less worried].
The doctor tells us
that this condition may
continue for a long time.
Our best regards to everyone
at your house,
my best kisses [love]
to you and Vovonne. [a name?]
[With special thanks to my Francophone English wife for making this translation]
The second postcard of the same two clowns
puts them in a completely different sketch.
Both are perched on top of the backs of kitchen chairs.
The Chinese clown has a guitar and is demonstrating a kick step.
His sad-faced companion has a mandolin.
The rush seats of their chairs
look about to be busted out.
The caption reads:
puts them in a completely different sketch.
Both are perched on top of the backs of kitchen chairs.
The Chinese clown has a guitar and is demonstrating a kick step.
His sad-faced companion has a mandolin.
The rush seats of their chairs
look about to be busted out.
The caption reads:
Séance interrompue
~
Interrupted session
~
Interrupted session
Their costumes tell us that they are a crazy duo.
Their instruments suggest a musical element.
The joke, however, has vanished.
Their instruments suggest a musical element.
The joke, however, has vanished.
The card was sent to Mademoiselle Bertha Dumont
of Montluçon, a commune in central France on the Cher river,
on 7 September 1904.
of Montluçon, a commune in central France on the Cher river,
on 7 September 1904.
The antique photographs and postcards that I collect
show us images of entertainers from past times,
but I only pretend to know anything
about their musical artistry
or, in this case, their comic flair.
Music and humor are both
elusive historical artifacts.
Living a century later
we can't hear the melody
or experience the gag.
show us images of entertainers from past times,
but I only pretend to know anything
about their musical artistry
or, in this case, their comic flair.
Music and humor are both
elusive historical artifacts.
Living a century later
we can't hear the melody
or experience the gag.
Our timing is off.
This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday.
where we might find more answers
to the question,
Why?
4 comments:
The sender must not have been too worried about that illness given the comic nature of the card.
And please figure out why the card is funny. I hoped the dots were Morse code but obviously not.
Ah, to chuckle from ignorance...the position supposedly of bliss. I'm perfectly happy to enjoy just the costumes, the way they are set against each other...the facial gestures, the amplification of their unknown meanings...and at least knowing that you now own these postcards and have shared them here. Life has to become simple sometimes.
Slapstick comedy usually leaves me cold. I never could understand why Abbott & Costello, or the Three Stooges were funny. That said, there was a movie years ago (like in the late 1950s) with a scene where enlisted men are trying to build their own enlisted men's club. The scene was total slapstick but it was so well done I thought it was the funniest thing I had ever seen and laughed till tears of mirth were rolling down my cheeks. There are so many different kinds of humor. Like my father, I enjoy dry humor especially, but people who don't understand it don't find it funny at all. Not sure, even if we knew their joke, I'd find these two fellows funny? In addition, I don't like clowns which probably wouldn't help. :)
Humor is difficult to understand not just over time, but between cultures and language. When one of our ESL students makes a joke in English or laughs at a joke in English, I take it as a sign that they are really getting the language. But many times the jokes fall flat and the jokes they tell us fall flat. Something is just amiss. I'd like to understand the humor in these postcards.
Post a Comment