humor

Humor In Hiding

1 Jan ’13 by Christopher Hopper 6 Comments

Jenny and I were looking at this family pic that made second cut from a shoot we did earlier this fall. It was just a test shot as Jenny was getting the timer settings right. But we kept it because the kids were so darn cute.

As we stared at it, little thought-bubble lines began jumping out at us. And the more we verbalized what we thought each kid might be saying, the funnier it got. And the more we laughed.

Then we opened Photoshop and couldn’t stop laughing. The end result is above.

Humor likes to hide. The deeper it lurks, the funnier it tends to be. Anyone can laugh at the superficial; but finding the truly ingenious, witty aspects of life not only brings us joy, but appreciation. Which enriches who we are as people.

Add value to the lives of those around you by discovering humor hidden in every day moments of life. It’s work, but it’s worth it.

ch:

Filed Under: perspective, the family, The Hopper Kids Tagged With: good medicine, humor, laughter

Forest = Cereal

13 Aug ’12 by Christopher Hopper 13 Comments

Last night I had an amazing summer conversation with my daughter, Eva, outside under the pines.

Correction: it was a listening session. A single, unending stream of thought (less one addition from me) where I realized my baby girl is much less baby and far more girl.

But I’m sure in both our minds it will be remembered as a conversation, because we experienced it together.

We were playing a game my Daddy and I made up when I was little called It’s Like When, in which one person says a word and the second person has to give a real life application of that word without using the word specifically.

Her word was “forest.”

Apparently my answer of, “It’s like when you’re surrounded by trees,” wasn’t good enough.

“No, Dad,” she corrected.

“It’s like animals everywhere. Rabbits and deer. But we don’t shoot them. Only Popop shoots deer because he likes to eat them. We only eat animals when we eat Cheeseburgers.”

“Those are cows.” (My one addition).

“Ew. Gross. Yeah, and we don’t shoot cows too much. If there are no cows, then there’s no milk. And if there’s no milk, there’s no cereal. And can you imagine life without cereal? I can’t. I mean, what would we even eat?”

I have no idea.

So there you have it, a true Dwight Schrute-ism á la Evangeline Hopper:

Forest equals cereal.

You’re welcome.

ch:

Filed Under: culture, the family, The Hopper Kids Tagged With: cereal, cows, eva, fathers and daughters, forest, games, gun control, humor, It's Like When, logic, milk

Color Palette Problem

22 Apr ’12 by Christopher Hopper 13 Comments

I was recently included in a Color of the Year Instragram mashup by Mike Kim (@mikekimtv).

I actually made the montage/collage twice. Once for my metaphorical face, the other for my actual face. (Some might even argue I’m the sock, too).

The honor is quite overwhelming.

But the presentation does beg the question: how did white people ever get stuck with the white color stigma? We’re much more pink than we are white. I mean, look at my cranium. It’s more like under-cooked chicken, or maybe pork ribs.

I’ve met a few albinos in my life. Now they’re white. Some are even translucent.

Black people aren’t actually black at all. Some are cocoa, and some are coffee (both preferred food beverages).

Asian people, like Mike, are olivey, much like Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Native American folks.

True Indians are like dark cinnamon buns. Probably from all the curry and chai tea they consume. That’s my theory.

Anyone else notice the food theme?

Humans have forever tried to classify things. Science. Emotions. Music. It’s part of how we’re wired. But sometimes we try and classify things based on fear, insecurity, and sheer ignorance.

Like race and skin-tone.

Like my wife, I was raised in a “colorless” home by parents who never differentiated between skin color or race. They had Christian convictions about such biases. And also like her, it wasn’t until I was an early teen that I discovered racism was still rampant in the United States – and the rest of the world for that matter.

Yet this spirit of racism is easily identified as a fraud, and something we as Christians must be the first to exterminate.

For one, the spirit of racism fails to take into account that all humans are made in God’s image. To prefer one over the other is to alienate and shun the likeness of God himself. Doing so is anti-human, anti-Christian, and anti-God. It was God’s fail-safe and the genius of making us after himself. To say you accept Jesus but you can’t accept all men is tantamount to not accepting Jesus. Be careful.

If you have a basis, fear, frustration or vendetta toward a race, you need to repent and ask for Jesus’ heart for that people group – because they’re his people group made in his image.

And secondly, this spirit of racism didn’t even get its color assignments right.

I’m pink, people.

What a scam.

ch:

Filed Under: culture, leadership Tagged With: anger, bias, brown, categories, chai tea, chicken, cinnamon, coco, coffee, color, curry, fear, fraud, grace, hatred, humor, Jesus, pink, prejudice, pride, race, racism, ribs, spirits, vendetta

Placenta Marketing

8 Oct ’11 by Christopher Hopper 10 Comments

One of the things you learn early on about communicating in other countries – especially as a keynote speaker – it’s many anecdotes just don’t translate.

Especially your clever acronyms or Christianese scriptural devices.

Likewise, some marketing ideas ought to be left in their country of origin.

Jenny texted me this pic with a caption left to the imagination. (Keep in mind she just gave birth).

Before you go announcing your next big idea, or spouting of your new opinion, do everyone a favor and remember who you’re speaking to. Effective communication begins with intentionally acknowledging your audience.

Mothers around the world will thank you. ch: