What's funny to me.......

I made a interesting observation yesterday.

I have a sick sense of humor.

That's not what was interesting to me though. What was interesting was that for some reason I tend to surround myself with people who share the same type of sick, twisted humor.

I'm doing this play right now called Dot Gone , and among the many interesting aspects about the production is that it combines two groups of people from different periods in my life.

I have the company of friends that I've known from my earliest days of acting, where we all met at El Camino College, and I have my friend J.B. who I met later on when I decided to get my degree, and I attended Chapman University with.

What's fascinating is that they all share the same perverted type of humor.

When I say perverted I mean the most foul, offensive, disgusting, sexually deviant type of humor imaginable.

Stuff we'd probably get locked up for if we talked about it in public or a restaurant or bar or gym for that matter. Stuff that would make a Soldier blush.

I guess one can argue that it's because we are all actors, and that maybe all actors/comedian/artists types have twisted sense of humors.

I mean just check out The Aristocrats.

But in all honesty that's not really the case. Trust me, I've done several summers doing Shakespeare productions with really talented actors who...... are really not that humorous or witty......or interesting for that matter.

The truth is that there's a lot of boring freaking artists out there.

But this group of friends I'm working with click amazingly well.

What's funny to me, is to see the short hand we've all picked up on.... without explaining to each other. I mean sometimes we'll be in a middle of a conversation and someone will join in and pick up the vibe we're riffing on and just pitch in a new and hilarious perverted way.

It's like we shock each other into laughing fits.

I can't remember laughing so much off stage in a long time.

I have to admit it's not very sophisticated stuff. Just shocking, disgusting observations and witty banter.

One pattern, that's develop through the course of the process, that's quite humorous, is the use of repetition by the group of friends.

One friend will say something...usually disgusting or foul, which will usually illicit a groan or shocking look of disapproval. Then the person repeats it later on in the day.....then later on....until people start to giggle....which leads to a laugh and then contributions by someone else that is even more foul and offensive. What makes it extremely hilarious is that without given a cue there is always someone who pretends to be the moral high ground, who'll play the sensible sophisticate only to be goaded on by the rest of the group...until they say something remarkably foul and offensive.

Pretty soon everyone is laughing and shocked and disturbed.

I don't know....maybe a lot of friends work that way. But I just notice that it's different with my friends. Maybe it's because I feel my friends are all very witty and sharp.

I don't think it's unique to just this particular group of friends. My wife is the same way. The friends from Chapman that I still keep in contact with are the same way. People I've been drawn to throughout the years have all been the same way.

If we put all my friends together in a room, I bet they would all share the same kind of sick, twisted humor.

It's just interesting.

But probably not as perverted though as this group of people in this play.....we're all pretty freaking sick.

I mean the people I work with are the same way.....but it's different.

There are things I can't say with them because they would probably think I was insane....or just perverted....in an unfunny way.

Sometimes I find myself biting my tongue or censoring myself before I speak.

I know because I'll sometimes slip and say something, and they look at me shocked and disturbed.

Which they should....because...... they are normal.

Unlike me.

Anyways.....just an observation.