Gift of Laughter

Laughter is Romantic

Is laughter a romantic gift? Woman say yes, yes, yes.

The results are in...more than 1,000 American women ages 21 to 54 have voted on the top five personality traits they want in a man.

And the #1 personality trait women want in a man?

A sense of humor, with 77% of the votes. "Sense of humor" beat out intelligence, passion, confidence, and generosity as the most desirable trait.

"Being able to laugh at the stresses of this world is a must, according to the women on our panel. You get bonus points if you can make them laugh. Humor tells a woman that you can laugh at—read, handle easily—the many difficulties that life throws at you."

Source: menshealth.com

So how can you show her your funny side with a great gift? Here are ideas to get you going.

Take Her to a Comedy Club

A few tips:

• If you haven't heard of the comedian before, check them out on YouTube to get a sense of their style and material. The names of superstars like Dane Cook, Eddie Izzard, Chris Rock, Kathy Griffin, Lewis Black, Margaret Cho are already well known; you can also check out the new top ten new emerging comedians:
  • Brendon "Brendan" Walsh
  • Hugh Moore
  • Sean Patton
  • Nikki Glaser
  • Ryan Stout
  • Kyle Kinane
  • Eric Andre
  • John Mulaney
  • Matt Braunger
  • Anthony Jeselnik

  Source: AskMen.com

• Richard Pryor or Bill Cosby? Find out if they use profanity ahead of time. If this gift is for your wife or long time girlfriend, and you already know her tastes, great, but you have a new lady in your life, don't assume she'll like all that swearing. Be conservative at first before you know for sure.
• Women comedians are funny. If you haven't seen 30 Rock and watched Tina Fey, you are missing out!

  Look for movies or shows with these modern day queens of comedy in a list from Vanity Fair:

  • Sandra Bernhard
  • Susie Essman
  • Tina Fey
  • Jenna Fischer
  • Chelsea Handler
  • Leslie Mann
  • Amy Poehler
  • Maya Rudolph
  • Amy Sedaris
  • Sarah Silverman
  • Wanda Sykes
  • Kristen Wiig

  I'll add Julia Louis-Dreyfus to that list!

  Seeking out a really funny woman just shows that you are a secure man who is not threatened or sexist. She'll love you for it. Need some proof? Here is one of my favorites, up and coming Sarah Haskins, who has her own show on Current TV called "Target Women".

Give Her Romantic Comedies

Here are some ways to creatively give the gift of a romantic comedy.

Does she get movies by mail? If she does, you can renew her subscription. If not, get her a subscription and then select 4 or 5 romantic comedies to put in her queue for her to watch as a surprise.

The web is full of lists of classic romantic comedies, Hepburn and Tracy style, and if she hasn't seen those, indulge her.

Here my top ten pics (plus or minus a few) picks for romantic comedies from the last several decades. I gravitate towards quirky, independent films with a literary influence and my list reflects that. :)

Lost in Austen (2008) Jane Austen is an all-time favorite of women, and this movie has a very, very clever twist.

Medicine For Melancholy (2008) First time director Barry Jenkins is onto something very interesting and sweet. San Francisco lovers will enjoy seeing the city.

Forty-Year Old Virgin (2005) Steve Carrell manages to be both nerdy and appealing.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) This was the movie that made me take Jim Carrey seriously as an actor and has a wonderfully original plot.

Bridget Jones Diary (2001) The first was the best, and she will appreciate seeing Mr. Firth.

Amelie (2001) Award-winning French film is a whimsical fairytale.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" goes to high school.

Notting Hill (1999) Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant at the top of their romantic comedy game.

Rushmore (1998) Definitely not a traditional romantic comedy, it is strangely funny, and deals with the complexity of love.

Shakespeare in Love (1998) Award-winning and beautiful to watch. I'm a Gwyneth Paltrow fan, and this is one of her best.

Shall We Dance? (1996) The Japanese version is the better version in my opinion. Very, very sweet, and a good choice for your wife.

Clueless (1995) Jane Austen's Emma comes to modern-day Beverly Hills.

Groundhog Day (1993) Like the film theme, I can watch this one over and over!

Edward Scissorhands (1990) Johnny Depp fans will still find him sexy and sweet in scissors.

The Tall Guy (1989) Emma Thompson and Jeff Goldbum in this hilarious parody of London theater culture.

Married to the Mob (1988) Jonathan Demme directed this film and just seeing Michelle Pfeiffer in the over-the-top mob wife outfits makes me laugh.

Spice Things Up with Funny Adult Mad Libs

One person asks another to think up for words like nouns, verbs, adjectives, and then writes them into the blank spaces in a special Mad Lib story.

The best part is reading it out loud after you have finished...

Well, Mad Libs have grown up with us and now there are Adult Mad Libs...aren't you curious? :)

So if you feel like having a silly, spicy romantic moment, then this is a great gift idea.

Watch the Clowns at Cirque du Soleil

If you visit Las Vegas, you'll be able to see a show, otherwise, check their travelling schedule and book a show.

Most shows have humorous parts, some of the funniest shows are:

• Banana Shpeel
• Dralion
• Kooza
• La Nouba
• Quidam
• Saltimbanco

Cirque tours worldwide. Check the schedule to see when they will be coming to a city near you!
Cirque du Soleil Schedule