by brenton crozier
Every so often I am lucky enough to stumble upon a website that is not only funny, but truly brilliant. Now that the Internet is so accessible and made for anyone to sign up and start blogging or working from a templated means, it is easy to overlook the artistry that goes into web design. Websites are sometimes aesthetic flash feats, but lack in usability. Other websites are a little too on the homegrown side, lack any visual appeal, and offer little enticement to stay and have a click or two.
I was looking for a website to feature and somehow landed in a Web Awards type of site that bestowed accolades to a wide range of sites in a wide array of categories. This is where I found TBS’s Humor Study website. This site is visually stimulating, simple to use (your participation is encouraged) and hilarious on every level. Let John Cleese guide you through the numerous elements of the Department of Humor Analysis, which aims to provide a “Comprehensive study of humor and humorousness.”
There are a number of things to do once you enter the Department of Humor Analysis. Start by taking the survey. The information you provide will “help shape the funny of the future.” You may be asked which two mascots would be funniest to see fight. You get to choose from a snowman, a bunny and a purple thing and then choose a location for the pugilism. Once you have made your selection, you actually get to see the fight take place! It then asks you to choose the funniest scenario. You are also asked to design the funniest iced-out custom name belt or necklace. After a series of 7 questions, John Cleese thanks you for your participation and the results are sent to the humor laboratory.
The humor lab is full of engaging activities and videos. Every single funny short is worth watching. One of the videos is about how scientists are hypothesizing that the part of our brain that finds monkeys funny is shrinking and that squirrels are the new funny animal. All of these shorts are nothing less than brilliant.
Fun with Puns allows you to choose a pun and see if it is funny after being translated into multiple languages. Insert your favorite pun here.
Create a Sitcom allows you to choose an element from a drop down selection starting with the types of characters. The next drop down gives you a “Living With” selection and then the last drop down is “Living In.” My sitcom starred Biblical Characters with A Nose for Trouble living in Cumberland, MD. It was pretty funny.
The Wallpaper Generator is uber fantastic. Choose your background then throw some objects on there. You can pick God, a snowman, a horse riding a horse and so much more. It’s all pretty random, and all uproarious.
In the About the Department portion of the site, watch the video about the staff. Once again hosted by John Clesse, the video covers the tools used by the department of humor and their mission. This website is at least as funny as anything on TBS, if not a little more (although Seinfeld and Family Guy reruns always make me chuckle).
This site is refreshingly genius and harkens to the humor stylings of everything from Monty Python (obviously) and good Saturday Night Live to the dead pan hilarity found on a weekly basis in The Office. It usually takes me two websites to get my word count, but this one was enough! This site could possibly start a new interactive web culture for humorists and comedy fans alike.
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