Michel Foucault posed the philosophical question: If society does not abide by a law, can that law still be considered a law?
One view is that a law that doesn’t ‘take’ is not a law. It’s not even a failure. Law is, period. In the absence of law, what you have is a collection of words that tried their best.
I ask myself the same question about a joke. If no one thinks a joke is funny, can it still be considered a joke?
I used to tell people I sold my sense of humour when I was 13 and have been looking for it ever since. It was my rascal way of making it my problem that I didn’t find someone funny.
Trouble is, I thought I was joking until people began to believe me. Then I started to believe those people believing me. And those people told my parents who told their friends.
Holy shit. I finally had to fess up that I was just kidding.
Fifteen years in and I’m still apologising for cracking wise about creating a fictitious financial transaction between an unknown buyer and my full blown sense of humour.
How’s that for funny?
So … is the answer yes?