Laughing All the Way

Throughout my childhood, my father could make me laugh with a subtle, or not so subtle, funny face, a look, a sound - frequently at the dinner table. I would laugh uncontrollably until my mother would send me away from the table, not as punishment, but to help me calm down and quite probably to prevent the sputtering of food around the room.

Any control I gained would be akin to trying not to laugh in church, an illusion, broken immediately as I would look at my father upon returning to the table - out of the room, again, I would go.

So, it's not a surprise that my father sent me a link to a Rowan Atkinson routine.

Rowan Atkinson, in his stand alone routines or as Mr. Bean or Black Adder, makes me laugh in much the same way my father did all those years ago - hysterically, uncontrollably, with tears. Often, he has to just appear and I start laughing.

People seem to fall into two camps regarding Atkinson's humour. Those who love him think that those who don't just don't get it and are too, too stuffy. Those who don't like him (often quite emphatically) think that those who do are infantile and weird. There is no in between.

Following is the Atkinson routine The Piano Player (compliments of my father).




Here are two more in the musical mode: Rowan Atkinson "conducting" Beethoven's 5th and Mr. Bean conducting the Salvation Army band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2tpBwVuSKc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzdUiwB-Fj0

Enjoy. But watch out if you have your mouth full!!!!