You know I've often wondered why people laugh at the picture of a big belly businessman slipping on a banana skin and falling on his bottom.
We are to feel sorry for them.
Actually, Laura, I think we laugh because we are glad it didn't happen to us.
But of course there is also a kind of humorous satisfaction in seeing somebody self-important making a fool of themselves.
Yes, and there are a lot of jokes about people who are too fat or physically handicapped, you know, deaf, or short-sighted things like that.
After all, it's not really funny to be like that.
Oh, I think that's because we're embarrassed.
We don't know how to cope with the situation.
Perhaps we are even a bit frightened we may get like that, so we laugh.
What about the custard pie routine?
What do you mean 'custard pie routine'?
You know, all those old films where someone gets so outraged with his boss.
He picks up a custard pie and plasters it all over the other person's face.
That never makes me laugh much, because you can guess what's going to happen.
But a lot of people still find it laughable.
It must because of the sort of the thing we'd all love to do once in a while and never quiet have the courage to.
I had an old aunt who used to throw cups of tea at people when she was particularly irritated. She said it relieved her feelings.
It must have come a bit expensive.
Not really.
She took care never to throw her best china.