These days, I’m finding it harder to smile much, let alone laugh.  The news is either downright depressing, or it makes me angry.  People are either so friggin’ serious, or they’re really sad about something.  They may have a perfectly good reason for that, and of course, it’s none of my business.

But I do try to make it my business to inject some humor into people’s lives every day.  Ever since high school, I have cultivated a well-earned reputation as a jokester.  I love a good harmless prank or practical joke that’s designed to make people laugh, often at themselves.  We all need to laugh at ourselves a little bit more, don’t you think?

I really enjoy telling a great joke, and getting people to laugh, really laugh out loud.  (Did you hear the one about Thor, the God of Thunder?  Be sure to ask me to tell it to you the next time I see you.)

I watch a lot of stand-up comedy specials, and there are some very funny comedians doing hilarious stuff, on Netflix and elsewhere.  John Mulaney.  Kathleen Madigan.  Jim Gaffigan.  Amy Wong.  Tom Papa.  Brian Regan.  Wanda Sykes.  Jim Jefferies.  Aziz Ansari.  Gary Gulman.  The great Ellen Degeneres.  So many more.  Do yourself a big favor and check them out.

I’m a sucker for a classic Three Stooges episodes or an old Marx Brothers movie.  I can still get a belly laugh out of “Carol Burnett Show” reruns, and I can watch “Animal House” or “Young Frankenstein” every few months and laugh out loud every time.

And I get a kick out of funny cartoons or memes on the internet.  Since this is a blog devoted to rock music, I have collected some of the funnier cartoons and memes that poke fun at classic rock bands and music to share here with my readers.  Some of these require a little insider’s knowledge about artists or their work, but most should get a chuckle out you regardless of how much you know about music.

I intended to compile a playlist of songs about laughing, but it turns out most of them aren’t funny after all.  They’re about laughing on the outside but crying on the inside.  (“Laugh laugh, I thought I’d cry…”).

Let’s bring more laughter into the world!  As the band Chicago used to sing, “I’m so happy that you love me, life is lovely when you’re near me, tell me you will stay, make me smile…”

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Lastly, since I’m a dad, I can’t resist closing with a few rock music-related puns, otherwise known as “Dad jokes”:

I have front row seats for a Pearl Jam concert next week.  It doesn’t get Eddie Vedder than that.

Bill Withers’ manager said to him, “You know, the lyrics to ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ are kind of lame.”  He replied, “I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know…”

What’s the name of Aerosmith’s new Asian cookbook?  “Wok This Way.”

Why did Bono fall off the stage?  He was standing too close to The Edge.

When I got pulled over yesterday, the cop asked me if I had a police record.  I said, “Yes, I have ‘Synchronicity.’  Great album.”

Where do Jack and Diane’s cantaloupes go every summer?  John Cougar’s melon camp.