Funny People: Why I Wasn’t in the Movie.

I recently saw the Judd Apatow directed movie Funny People starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. It tells the story of a successful comedian and actor who becomes jaded and miserable with his own success and the excesses that come with it. Without giving too much of the plot away, he’s diagnosed with a serious illness and is forced to deal with death, his personal failures and his own self hatred. Sounds heavy right? Well at certain moments it is. It’s also a hilarious movie that I enjoyed every second of.

I kind of knew that I’d love this movie before I’d read any reviews are seen any of the previews. Although I’m not really an Adam Sandler fan, I have, for the most part, enjoyed Seth Rogen’s recent ascension into fame and I’m also a fan of most anything that Judd Apatow has his name attached to. Still, the real reason why I knew I’d love Funny People is because it gives a glimpse, albeit a fictionalized version, of the backstage of professional comedy.

Since I was a teenager, fueled by Pepsi and Doritos, I’ve held a romanticized vision of what I believed to be the ‘Best Job in the World’.

NHL star? No.

Rock star? No.

Porn star? No, no no.

The occupation that I held above all others was comedy writer. To me, the idea of getting paid to think of funny shit was the highest thing I could aspire to be.

My friends and I, like most suburban teenagers with lots of time and no money, spent countless nights watching movies, playing video games and thinking we were the funniest people on Earth. If we weren’t so apathetic and had any sense, basically if were weren’t teenagers, we would have found some way to document all of the brilliant ideas that we had. Of course we didn’t, so all we’re left with is stories and anecdotes that we’ve managed to piece together in fragments from person to person.

Somewhere along the line, probably in college where I did most of my growing up, I realized that I’m not really that funny. Sure, I may be able to make myself and my friends laugh, but my entire repertoire is lifted. The amount of times I’ve borrowed, parodied, or explicitly plagiarized Woody Allen, Mitch Hedberg, The Simpsons, Will Ferrell, Conan O’Brien, Jerry Seinfeld, SNL, Bill Cosby, Dumb and Dumber, Bill Hicks, David Letterman, etc. is staggering. Like most people, my sense of humour has been cultivated from people that are much funnier than me.

I’ve also realized that becoming a comedy writer isn’t something that even comedy writers aspire to. Most comedy writers aspire to be stand up comedians, actors, or improv artists, but get stuck writing comedy while waiting for their big break. They work hard for little money and little credit, all the while knowing that they have the talent to become successful.

I don’t have that talent. Nor that kind of drive, at least not when it comes to comedy. So my teenage dream of becoming a successful comedy writer, like my childhood dream of becoming the starting goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs, has probably passed me by. It’s not like I’m upset, or even disappointed because it’s not anything I really had a shot at in the first place. Besides, it’s probably for the best, now I can begin coming up with an grown-up dream for my future.