Chasing the Laugh Track

What makes you laugh?

Daily Prompt 1892: What Makes You Laugh?

If you’ve spent any time here with me, you already know—these blogs are basically a breadcrumb trail of who I am. Some crumbs are obvious. Others? You’ve got to squint a little, read between the lines, maybe even take a leap and guess. You might be right. You might not. That’s part of the fun.

Here’s one that requires zero decoding:

Most days at work, I walk into the ladies’ room, close the door behind me, exhale like I’ve just finished a marathon, and think, “Why on earth am I not writing for TV?”

And every single time, the answer is the same: I have absolutely no idea.

What I do know is this—I love to laugh. Not a polite chuckle. Not a courtesy giggle. I’m talking about the kind of laugh that sneaks up on you, takes over your whole body, and leaves you wiping your eyes wondering what just happened. And if I’m being honest? I want more of that in the world. We’re all wound a little too tight these days. No politics here—you know that’s not my lane—but let’s not pretend we couldn’t all stand to loosen the grip a bit.

So what do I do? I go hunting for laughter.

Over the years, I’ve spent plenty of time in comedy clubs—some live, some courtesy of the YouTube rabbit hole that swallows hours of my life without apology. I’m fascinated by comedic timing. It’s an art form. A science. A rhythm. And long before he became a household name with Seinfeld, I was drawn to Jerry Seinfeld. He studies comedy. Dissects it. Perfects it. His writing? Sharp. His delivery? Effortless. The man doesn’t just tell jokes—he engineers them.

Now yes, Seinfeld is legendary. Untouchable in many ways. But for me? It’s not even his best work.

That honor goes to Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

The premise is simple—which is exactly why it works. Jerry grabs a classic car (because of course he does), gives you a quick love letter to the vehicle, picks up a fellow comedian, and they head out for coffee. That’s it. No bells. No whistles. Just conversation.

But oh…that conversation.

Two masters of their craft sitting side by side, talking shop, life, absurdity—it’s magic. Pure, unscripted magic. And every now and then, there’s a moment where Jerry completely loses it. Full-on, can’t-catch-his-breath laughter. The kind where you start laughing just because he is. Honestly, that might be my favorite part. Because if you can make him laugh like that? Good God…you’ve made it.

So here’s to chasing the laugh. To studying it, finding it, sharing it. To refusing to let the weight of the world steal something so simple and so necessary.

Because at the end of the day, if we can still laugh—really laugh—we’re doing something right.