A sense of humor is often mentioned as
one of the characteristics that distinguishes man from animals. Mark
Twain said, “Humor is mankind’s’ greatest blessing.” Notice that Mark
just mentioned “mankind,” he didn’t say anything about animal kind.
Scientists who’ve studied such things don’t think that animals are
capable of comedy. Oh sure, Holsteins might not think Rubes or the old
Far Side cartoons that make fun of them are all that funny, I’m here to
tell you though, the rest of the barnyard finds them hysterical. And
what cowboy doesn’t find it funny when one of their cohorts is
splattered with recycled hay or kicked in the shins by a cow? I’m
telling you, cowboy poets would be out of business in a heartbeat if
cows weren’t funny.
People who say
that cows don’t don’t ham it up on occasion often point to their
straight face, stern manner and lack of a smiling countenance but just
because we never see them on Comedy Central or the Tonight Show doesn’t
mean they aren’t laughing their four guts out inside when a herd mate
eases a cowpoke over a fence with her sharp horns.
Then
too, this whole political correctness thing has put a big damper on the
jokes animals can tell each other. They can’t let out a guffaw at the
handicapped dog with three legs, the fat hog who should be on The
Biggest Loser, or the undocumented immigrant steers from Mexico, because
we’re all so supersensitive these days. Quarter Horses can’t tell
Thoroughbred jokes, Longhorns can’t make fun of the puny horns grown by
Herefords, and Pinzgauers can’t tell Blonde de Aquitane jokes because,
well, they’re blondes. Angus cows can no longer laugh at the slutty
jezebel of a crossbred who got pregnant at ten months of age, and no
farm animal dares to smile or have a good time because that would
destroy PETA’s ad campaign that says non-human companions are unhappy
because we beat them all the time.
I’ll
be the first to admit that some species of animals have a more
developed sense of humor than others. I think we can all agree that
sheep are the most dour but I don’t know if it’s because most jokes go
over their dumb heads, or they have heard all the lame ewe jokes before.
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