I’M NOT BEING FUNNY BUT

“I’m not being funny, but...”

I’ve heard this loads recently. Young people, going out of their way to explain how unfunny they’re being. At the bus stop, “I’m not being funny but...” then walking the pavement with a BFF, “I’m not being funny but...”

I thought it was us oldies who were desperately not funny. You youngsters ought to be out there making each other crack up, rather than being keen to be sourpusses!

I get it. Someone has behaved poorly and you’d like to talk about it without seeming like you’re equally part of the problem. You don’t want your friend to see your resentment, bitterness, confusion, anger, as well, resentment, bitterness, confusion, and anger, because you know that those things are instinctively odd-funny and you’d hate it wouldn’t you, if someone else at another bus stop was also ‘not being funny but’ about you.

What you probably don’t know is how hilarious that is.