So, anyways babies crying, this is one of those things where I think explaining the joke might make it sound less funny than it is, but I’ll try
First it’s just funny how they cry, like full body, screaming sobbing, arms flailing, face turning purple. It’s like such raw display of emotion and suffering that has no adult analog.
Like even the deepest and most profound displays of grief and anguish, like if you think about like, a grieving mother or a guy who watched his family die, don’t reach the level of emotionality of a baby who just, is hungry, or shit itself or is SLEEPY and super mad about it.
Sometimes it’s for absolutely no reason at all. Sometimes it’s cause they saw someone they thought was ugly and started crying (also funny). And each time it’s screaming, sobbing, tears and snot, just complete devastation with zero control or self awareness, and it’s just, extremely funny. I think it’s cute lol. Adult tears are inhibited, we’re all burdened with expectation and experience and the sense that we have to deal with our shit. Probably an adult has told us at some point in our lives we have to stop crying. but babies give zero fucks lol, just let loose with their whole body, I think it’s hilarious.
Then there’s people’s reaction, which makes it even funnier. Oh my god, this is probably my favorite part. Typically people fall into two camps, the main one being like, irritation or annoyance at having to be subjected to this screaming baby, but the second camp is sometimes people get like, very distressed and anxious, usually this is women with strong maternal instinct. There’s like a stress response it triggers in people or something. both of these are also extremely funny lol
Idk it’s a bit harder to explain, but say there’s a guy complaining about a crying baby in a restaurant or something, and I just imagine the baby sarcastically being like, “oh I’m sorry my abject anguish is BOTHERING you. I’m literally having the worst day of my life right now and you’re annoyed, ok fuck you I’m gonna cry even harder.” And they do
I guess I would be laughing at the adult in this situation. like he thinks he’s never been a baby before, probably being just as annoying if not more lmao. But now he gets to lord it over as the offended party cause he has existed for longer and stops himself from being 1/10th as emotionally free as the crying baby
Like I’ve seen people actually get really mad, and it’s always such impotent anger. Like what are you gonna do? Yell at a baby? Be mad at the poor parents who are obviously embarrassed?
And the fact that the baby IS probably having the worst time of his life is also funny. Like, the poor fucker has no idea how much worse it’s gonna get lol. And then on top of that people’s reaction is like, oh how does this affect ME? How does it inconvenience ME? I’M the one who is really suffering here! Comedy lol
idk i just enjoy it a lot. i think its hilarious when i see a crying baby and i nudge my wife and make dumb remarks like "me too buddy" or "that baby just got laid off", "he found out his girlfriend was cheating on him"
i think its funny that in some cases, the solution to a baby crying is to shove titties in his face
or just the fact of them being hungry or sleepy, who among us hasn't been grumpy or hangry? i get it lol. idk its like a kind of sympathy or identification, a recognition of our shared human foibles. Like, while you are currently shitting your pants and scream-crying in the middle of a shopping mall, I am also forced to be in a shopping mall, probably for equally no good reason lol, the only difference being i just have to seethe internally and hold my shit until i get home cause i don't want to shit at the mall. so in that situation i'm just like, good for you lmaooo
idk there's so many layers. like the earlier example of being on an airplane - it's a whole group of tired, already irritated adults are TRAPPED in a tiny tube with this baby who gives zero fucks
baby has no idea he has the power to ruin everyone's day lol. everyones just on edge, just waiting for this baby to decide he hates his life and will now make it everybody else's problem for the next however many hours
i once saw a baby in one of those baby chest harnesses punch his dad in the face while crying
how is that not funny lol. idk, am i crazy? i did write an essay length reply on why i find crying babies funny so maybe. its not even an exhaustive list. i enjoy it a great deal. if im around a friend or familys crying child sometimes i will talk to them, like all serious, "you know i think you are being a bit unreasonable here, i dont wanna upset you more but i think this might be an overreaction." and then the baby appears to like, make eye contact with me and consider what i'm saying only to continue crying. it makes me laugh lool
he'll cry and i'll nod say something like "that's a good point." so dumb lol
like its not that i enjoy their suffering, and i guess this applies to you too, its more that i recognize shared patheticness of human existence and cant help but find it funny. Sometimes you slip on a banana peel and fall in a funny way that breaks your femur. Sometimes life kicks your ass like god specifically hates you. Sometimes, you are born cold wet and confused and the only thing you can do about it is scream
and to the latter, it makes me laugh to just sagely nod and be like, "yeah bro ive been there. we all have."
it is kind of funny when you put it that way :)
(1 year 11 months 16 days after i met him)