Humor...What Defines It?

More and More as my boys leave the innocence of childhood behind and the gentle humor of knock knock jokes and silly unoffensive pranks, I find myself exposed to  what they now consider humor as young adult men.

It's not pretty. 

Though noxious gases and the sounds that emit them have always been funny to my sons, the humor has expanded to more disturbingly gross things.

One of their favorite comedians is Daniel Tosh of Tosh.O on comedy central.  I find myself losing control of the remote when he is on and however occupied they might be with friends, homework, video games, eating, etc., when Tosh comes on, they migrate to the living room.  Its like birds flying south for the winter, they just know.  

Now I try to be the cool mom, you know the one who rolls with it all and can find humor in even the most absurd things. But no matter how hard I try, I have never been able to make it through a full episode of this show without covering my eyes, leaving the room, plugging my ears, or a combination of all three.  I have a dark and twisted sense of humor, its true, but even I have limits.

I genuinely can't muster the tolerance or embrace the idea that vomit or poop from a grown up is funny. Its not. And replaying that 19 year old kid throwing up in a never ending loop 20 times, does not result in hilarity. Unless of course, you ask my sons, who somehow de-evolve for this brief 30 minute period each week and find it the funniest thing ever.  That is of course unless something poop related happens, and that's even funnier.

I can accept the humor and even laugh with the Jeselnik Offensive, or Tosh.O's web redemption segments. But poop and vomit will never be funny to me. Call me a stick in the mud, but it doesn't take visual assault to make something funny. Funny is wit , and there is nothing witty about puke or diarrhea.

Entertain me with a well timed verbal delivery however sensitive or politically incorrect the topic may be, and I will reward you with laughter. I simply can't board the puke/poop train.

I love and adore my boys, but there are moments when I wonder, really? You find THAT funny?????