How ironic!

For more than a few years your faithful correspondent has wondered why he has found contemporary comedy and television situation comedy not very funny. For a long time it was assumed that not being a regular viewer of visual chewing gum might be the reason. You, perhaps, can understand what I mean. At one time Necco Wafers was the greatest candy in the universe. Now they're barely edible.
But, after having taken a little time (and a little was quite enough) to study the question by watching the current crop of comedians and situation comedies, I think I have come up with an answer.
The answer is: Irony.
Modern comedy is based on irony. Irony is considered more sophisticated than a good joke or a good story. Irony allows the comedian to sneer and let the audience sneer with him (or her) at the yokels.
But the problem is that comedic irony is to real comedy what Zema was to ale. Irony is a cheap and easy drunk. Real comedy is a strong drink that takes a strong constitution. Comedic irony is foppish; the stuff of those who wave their hankies about when a waiter leaves who has been wearing Three Flowers hair lotion. Ironic comedy is precious. It titters and twitters, purses its lips and rolls it's eyes like a French hairdresser.
Call me a chauvinist or lowbrow, but I like a good laugh. A real big laugh. I like a good story or a good pun or a good story on the way to a good pun. I think that Gilligan's Island is funnier than Seinfeld. I think Fred Allen was funnier than Garrison Keillor. I think almost anything by Benny Hill is funnier than anything on Saturday Night Live. Steven Wright (just his pronunciation of the word "behemoth" in Resevoir Dogs is funny) is funnier than Adam Sandler. But maybe I'm a goon. I just find traditional Anglo-American comedy preferable to the faux sophisticated stuff that passes for comedy in the US today.
Irony has its place. But its place is rightfully associated with pity or just by itself. Guy DeMaupassent and Anatole France were masters of the irony and pity school of writing. They realized that most ironic situations were more tragic than comedic.
But perhaps the whole attraction to ironic comedy; the laughing at other's tragedies or shortcomings instead of laughing at willful shortcomings or willful idiocies.
But if I knew so damn much I'd be writing TV comedies for a living instead of not laughing at them.