My husband finds his comic people

My husband touted out his funniest unfunny with the surety that others would agree.

"It's about as funny as Seinfeld," he said.

I cringed inside. Such a statement surely showed his lack of humour and a narrow mindedness when it comes to all things comic. And this from a man who finds the three stooges bopping one another hilarious. Slapstick humour surely died out with the school cane.

I waited for the onslought. But instead found another around the table nodding heartily. My husband had a friend who shared his view. I asked the nodding head directly whether he liked Seinfeld and he said he didn't find him funny at all. I asked him whether he had seen the show about the soup kitchen and he looked vacant.

It was time to retreat. I knew when I wasn't in the company of a Seinfeld lover.

But then I noticed a few more heads nodding around the table (and probably slapping each other around the thighs in the name of a jolly laugh) and I realised I was seriously outnumbered. I felt like a pork chop at a vegetarian restaurant.

My husband meanwhile had found his people and was having a lovely time sharing all the unfunny moments he had witnessed on a Seinfeld program. Considering he had only seen a few episodes, but was able to share many moments, was laughable in itself. My husband had not even seen the one about the soup kitchen (hilarious).

The conversation morphed from American to British comedy and I was forced to stand up for the former. By now, my husband was trying to make me defect, forcing the issue among his new found pals. But back me into a tight spot and I will stand up boldly, even thinking that some of those slapstick moves might come in handy.

Now to prevent any anti-Seinfeld hate mail, I do wish to state that I am not an avid follower. But I have watched a number of shows and laughed mightily. Just as I do, I might add to many other comedians, both American and British. I am no avid fan of anyone in particular, but a laugh is a laugh is a laugh, particularly if it stirs from a soup kitchen in Manhattan.

- Linda Muller