Oh, the agony! Make ’em laugh

Agony aunt Mrs Hudson solves your dilemmas

QI have always been a great teller of jokes, but, at a recent social gathering, someone asked if I might ‘give it a rest’ as they didn’t find my comedy stylings amusing. Now, I can only wonder if everyone feels the same way and has been too polite to say. Should I hang up my jokebook and sit quietly henceforth? R. O., Greater Manchester A

Much as not everyone in the world enjoys cheese (although, in my opinion, these individuals should not be trusted—who doesn’t like cheese?), attending the theatre (again— I know they exist, but who are they?) or drinking alcohol (not guilty), it is a fact of life that not everyone we encounter will enjoy our company. Throw a tendency towards joketelling into the mix and you will narrow the field even further, for hasn’t comedy always been a divisive field? Recently, a well-known comedian visited my home town. I’d rather have had pins stuck in my eyes than attend, yet there they were, hordes of middle-aged men in jeans beating a path to the auditorium door. Each to their own.

I assume you aren’t close to this person or they would have closed you down long ago. If it brings you joy, you must continue to tell your jokes among friends and even to strangers—but learn to laugh it off if they leave abruptly. If all else fails, a quick trip to your local comedy club to see someone else dying on stage should lessen the sting.

In need of advice? Email your problem to mrs.hudson@futurenet.com