As a self-proclaimed comedy fan, I make it my mission to watch every comedy special or show I come across.
Much like the rest of the world, the comedy world has its fair share of the good, the bad, and the ugly. But once in a blue moon, you stumble upon a hidden gem just begging to be watched and acknowledged.
Tim Robinson’s show I Think You Should Leave on Netflix is one of these treasures. Robinson’s skit writing left me in a fit of ugly-cackle laughter with my sides hurting by the end of each segment. It’s just so funny.
Tim Robinson finds the essence of ordinary, ubiquitous human experiences and turns them into outrageously hilarious skits. At the end of each episode, he had me saying out loud, “Man, how does he come up with this stuff?”
But really, how does he come up with this stuff?
The simple act of this questioning caused a flip to switch in my mind. It was as if my vision tunneled and the ground shook – I had my eureka moment!
The grass looked a little greener, the sun shone a little brighter, and the world around me was seemingly a lot funnier.
My life was officially ‘skit-ified’.
The skit mentality essentially means that everything around you is/has the potential to be crafted into a hilarious skit.
I now find myself walking around trying to stifle the urge to let out a giggle at the sheer absurdity of the world that surrounds us.
A simple trip to the supermarket was once just that. Now, a simple trip to the supermarket transforms into a 30-min Netflix comedy special. Seriously, the possibilities are endless.
Now, I am by no means saying that I am suddenly a comedian. Comedy is a craft to the same degree that sculpture is. It takes years to master and lots of effort and focus. On the contrary, the skit mentality can be achieved by anyone.
I know, this whole skit business seems strange or stupid, but I promise you it is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. And lucky for you — as the self-proclaimed founder of the skit mentality — I will let you know the only prerequisite to officially becoming ‘skit-ified’.
Focus on the hypotheticals.
This is the number one cardinal rule. The hypotheticals are key to getting into the skit mindset. Next time you go out in public start allowing the phrase “what if” to linger around your brain. For instance, imagine you are carrying a big box around campus. Nothing about that is inherently funny. But now, let the skit mentality take over and the “what ifs” to roam free in your brain.
What if you tripped and dropped the box? Still not extremely funny (even though I might argue that falling and dropping something can be comical). But now allow yourself to build on this idea. What could be the most outrageous thing in that box that you would not want to be on display to everyone?
Now, what if you weren’t walking around campus, but instead in a packed auditorium? Or somewhere else that was extremely outrageous?
At the end of all this questioning, you could potentially have a very funny scenario playing out in your head. This, in short, is the skit mentality in action.
Again, I am not claiming that this is rocket science or comedy that would make George Carlin even dare crack a smile. But above all else, the skit mentality is incredibly entertaining and reminds me to not take life too seriously throughout the day. In the fast-paced and sometimes glum world that we live in, I think anything that can provide a little humor is worth trying out.
So, give the skit mentality a chance! It just might change your life.
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