Someone to laugh with

Been channelsurfing recently and I managed to glance through a new reality show called Mr Personality. The premise of the show is based on the fact that the girl has to choose a partner based only on his personality as all the contenders have their face masked. Perhaps that's the right way to go.

I would be the first to admit that looks certainly play a part in initial attraction. Let's face it, no one's gonna go for the stinky, unkempt Shrek lookalike unless you have an odd ogre fetish somewhere ( or you're a green ogre princess yourself ). No one out there's gonna deny that great pecs, washboard abs and a bubblebutt helps raise credit in the gay stakes for love.... and yet I always recall a line I read in a book years back when I was still in school and it always made sense to me, then and now. Took me a while to dig out the right book but I finally found it collecting dust in my library.


'... I always wished to have a friend to laugh with.'
'To laugh with! he repeated slowly.
'Perhaps you have friends already who laugh when you do,' she said diffidently. 'I haven't, and it's important, I think - more important than sympathy in affliction, which you might easily find in someone you positively disliked.'
'But to share a sense of the ridiculous prohibits dislike - yes, that's true.'


It's all too true. A great sense of humour always strikes me as something I'd seriously look for in a guy. Reminds me of a guy I once contemplated seeing for more than a few dates. Pretty Boy had the prerequisite Abercrombie & Fitch look, all sleek muscles and shiny Chiclets smile. Just looking at that pretty face almost made up for a lack of personality - since unfortunately what he made up in muscles and testosterone, he certainly lacked in a sense of humour. Whenever I picked up on something funny and give him a knowing look, he'd stare back in confusion. When I cracked a silly joke, he'd slowly turn and ask me what I mean! Abominable! It drove me insane.

Sharing a sense of the ridiculous is indeed extremely rare and it's a lucky guy who manages to find someone who shares the same. The guy you'd look across a crowded room, share a smile and he'd immediately know what's the damned joke. Now, that's chemistry.