Humor Injections: A Humor and Healthcare Blog

Archive for September, 2009

SNL and the Slipping of the “F” Bomb

28 Sep, 2009  No Comment

On Saturday Night Live, newcomer Jenny Slate accidentally used the “F” word in a skit.  To read more about it, go here:  Associated Press.

When I give presentations on the value of humor, I am frequently asked about the appropriateness of blue humor.  Blue humor typically refers to humor that includes foul language or potentially offensive topics.  I am torn by this question because some of my favorite comedians (Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Sam Kennison) worked blue.  But the context of their humor is important to consider.  Most of them worked in comedy clubs and in settings where the use of foul language was acceptable, if not expected.

The challenge for these comedians was when they crossed over to other settings.  They may have become so accustomed to using certain words and topics, they couldn’t easily eliminate them from their repertoire.  My suspicion is that Jenny Slate fell into that same trap.  She was probably accustomed to using the “f” word or it would not have just “slipped” out.

Since I speak to healthcare organizations and associations, it would be inappropriate for me to use foul language or offensive topics in my humor.  And what’s more, if I use that kind of language in my personal life, I could be susceptible to “slipping” too.

Personally, I try to avoid foul language in all settings.  I used to curse like a sailor (although I don’t know if sailors really curse a lot).  But when we had children, I realized it had a negative effect on them.  So, at the encouragement of my wife, I curtailed my four-letter word slinging. But up until the time when I stopped, it was easy for me to slip in a bad word now and again unintentionally.  Today, unless under a great deal of stress or completely alone, I don’t ever slip.

Our behavior reflects who we are.  If we try to be one thing at work and something else at home, eventually, the two will overlap.  And while all types of humor can be funny, to me, it’s not worth offending others just for the opportunity to use a foul word.

Ron

In the “Face” of Injury, Humor Does Help

14 Sep, 2009  No Comment

I had an unexpected visit to the ER last week (as if these trips are ever planned).  On the first day of a motorcycle trip, a pickup truck pulled out in front of me forcing me to ride off the road into grass and gravel.  I did fine through the grass but didn’t fare so well in the gravel.  My Harley went one direction and my body, led by my chin, went another.  After the dust cleared, I had 10 stitches in my chin and a bad case of road rash on my face.

Overall, considering the situation, I am both thankful and blessed.

It goes without saying, but I still will, that I was not in the best mood after my accident.  I had faced (so to speak) a potentially fatal situation; I was now going to miss a great 5-day ride with my brother; and I had 5 hours of ER treatment to look forward to.

So, I decided to look for opportunities to laugh…or at least to chuckle, since it hurt my chin to laugh.

My first opportunity came when I asked the ER staff to make sure I didn’t look like Mickey Rourke when I healed.  Unfortunately, in this particular part of SW Virginia, they didn’t know who Mickey Rourke was.  So that one was just for me.

My second opportunity came when the doctor asked me how I was.  I said, “I never truly embraced the wisdom in my dad’s admonition to ‘keep my chin up.’”  He smiled but as we all know, ER doctors are not allowed to fully chuckle.

Then, when the nurse was washing my wound (I regret that I didn’t get complete sponge bath), I asked for the full facial, waxing, and pedicure.  She laughed.

Score.

Finally, my best laugh came when I arrived at the follow-up visit with my family doctor.  The receptionist looked at my mangled chin and asked, “What happened?”

I said, “I cut myself shaving.”

Now here’s the best part.  She said, “Really?”

Now, that’s funny.

Ron

Humor Abounds in Arizona Health Care Associatoin

8 Sep, 2009  No Comment

I had the privilege of speaking to the Arizona Health Care Association last week.  This group of long-term care administrators, nurses, and staff was a lively bunch and their conference was full of humor.  Three of the four keynote speakers were humorists and the fourth, Lori Porter, was hilarious even though she was not billed as a humorist.

Lori was a Certified Nursing Assistant who gave great care, fought the shortcomings of the system, and rose to the rank of a certified long-term care administrator.  Her extraordinary commitment to long-term care and to nursing assistants inspired her to create the National Association of Health Care Assistants of which she is the current CEO.

Lori loves nursing assistants and long-term care residents and this comes through in everything she does.  But she is also a pistol of a person.  She’s direct, driven, and bubbling over with edgy humor that makes her message even more powerful.

For instance, she commented on the plight of smokers.  She said, “You’re better off coming out as a transvestite than a smoker.”  The audience roared.

In describing her rise to the top, she mentioned how she was not encouraged to seek the administrator position by her boss or her family.  Her boss said she “wasn’t administrator material” and as she left her house for the certification exam, her mother yelled, “Don’t get your hopes up!”

Finally, Lori told about an incident that occurred early in her first position as an administrator.  Someone called her to the facility in the middle of the night because two staff members were engaged in sexual activity in a vacant room.  Not knowing exactly what to do, Lori walked into the room, told them to get out, and said, “If I’m not getting any, you’re not getting any.”  The audience came unglued during this story and there was sustained hysterics.

As a humorist, I know that Lori is funny.  But as a former healthcare professional, I also know that Lori was a dedicated staff person and administrator who was passionate about the care that was given to the people in her facilities.  In my opinion, you couldn’t ask for a better combination.

Ron

John Jay Daly Used First Class Humor

3 Sep, 2009  No Comment

On Tuesday, September 1, I attended the funeral of friend and colleague, John Jay Daly.  I knew John as a professional speaker who founded the DC chapter of the National Speakers Association.  I was president of that chapter in 2002-2003 and was privileged to receive it’s highest honor, the John Jay Daly Founder’s Award in 2007.

As a humorist, I always appreciated John’s quick, albeit corny, humor.  He never hesitated to shout a funny line from the back of the room – even during someone’s presentation.  He was also a fanatic about language and would correct your misuse without hesitation.  And he loved history, especially the history of Washington, DC, having lived his entire 80 years with 1 mile of his Chevy Chase, MD birthplace only a few blocks from the DC border.

John was Catholic so I found myself lost during many of the ritual responses, kneelings, and crossings at the funeral.  However, as a Presbyterian, I was comforted by much of the same language found in the  readings, prayers, and hymns.  Even though we’re on different teams, we all play for the same coach.  And regardless of the denomination, I am always comforted by being in a church to celebrate life, death, and our faith.

What struck me most about John’s service though was the overabundance of humor.  Except for the structured Catholic rituals, almost every speaker, including the priest, told story after story of the funny side of John’s life.  I thought I’d share a few to give you a taste of this extraordinary man.

  • John was a lover of words.  So much so that he placed a dictionary in every room of his house and kept several in the trunk of his car in case someone needed one.  And according to one family member, “Everyone needed one!”
  • John had eight children.  He would always say, “They are all girls except for the four boys.”
  • Recently, while boarding a city bus with his granddaughter (as related by her), John asked the bus driver if he knew whose picture was on the two-dollar bill.  The driver didn’t know.  So, John gave him several hints.  The driver still didn’t know.  So, John turned to the other passengers on the bus.  No one knew.  He then turned to his granddaughter who said, “Thomas Jefferson.”  John beamed with pride and then took his seat on the bus.  Ironically, his granddaughter told this story not out of embarrassment but with a sense of pride as well.

This is who John Daly was.  A wonderful man, a great husband, a loving father, and a committed grandfather.  It was an honor to know him and to call him a friend and colleague.

One of John’s favorite “pieces” was a postal prayer written by Most Reverend Raymond J. Boland, Catholic Biship-Emeritus and delivered at a national postal conference.  The prayer was used to close John’s funeral.  I’ll include it here as a tribute to John.

May everything we do be first class.  Provide special handling for those of us who are fragile…and keep us in one piece.  We have been signed, sealed, stamped and delivered in your image and likeness…and we beg you to keep us in your care as we go about our appointed rounds.  And, when our days draw to a close and we are marked ‘return to sender’ please greet us at Heaven’s door so that no one may ever say ‘undeliverable at this address.’

John was first class.

Ron