The act of laughing is just as natural as snow falling on the mountains or a stream bubbling down its path to the ocean. Laughter is key for humans to vent out anxiety and refresh the mind. It is a natural social response that indicates commonality amongst a group and can show relief at the passing of danger. When you mix the absurd into the pot, the whole equation suddenly gets really weird. The laughter that absurdity induces is often laced with confusion, and I absolutely love it. This is why the funny t-shirts I wear are always extremely off-kilter and absurd.
Wearing absurd, funny t-shirts is almost like playing a prank on everyone you encounter. You know that whatever inane joke you’re telling with your shirt is going to be difficult to grasp, but that’s okay. Once the observer understands the absurd nature of the humor, the shared laughter is genuine. It is a bonding experience to overcome the small challenge of absurdity. It is an absolute truth that laughter is the best way to join two people together in a common cause, even if that common cause is something so small as an absurd joke.
The whole point of being absurd is to force people out of their comfort zone and into a world of the unknown where anything can happen. Monty Python perfected the technique, and their form of absurdist humor is still popular today. When you deal with absurdist comedy, up can be down or even sideways. When people are jerked out of normalcy and into the absurd, every situation is a challenge. No one knows what could happen or where the joke could lead. This makes my insanely funny t-shirts the greatest social tool I own.
When speaking of the absurd, you must make a mention and a bow to Eugene Ionesco. He was a writer of plays during the 50’s who created some of the most insane social commentary you may ever experience. His goal was to smash through common perceptions of conformity and conversation, hold up a mirror, and show the audience how crazy they already are. He may have been a suit-and-tie kind of fellow, but I be he’d be wearing my kind of funny t-shirts anyway.
Absurdity is an art form. It is a mystery because of its irregularity to normal comedy. People have to actually work to understand the joke, and many people are simply too lazy to appreciate it these days. Can you imagine a world where anything could happen? Pioneers like Ionesco and the guys from Monty Python could, and they invited you to come and join them. Funny t-shirts are something simple that anyone can wear, but when you mix the truly absurd into the fray…well, then the hippos really will have won.
Posted by Cannon 
