Happy Happy Joy Joy!

I wonder if the doomed and hysterical pressure to be happy is as prominent in other countries as it seems to be in this one.

I was listening to Tommy Tiernan's comedy sketch "Toxic Optimism." The whole track is amazing, funny and insightful - but he really puts his finger on the mania involved. When you HAVE to be happy, how can you really BE happy?

"REALLY want to BE HAPPY. I'm going to try my best to BE HAPPY. I don't care if it drives me F'ing inSANE.."

What if what makes you happy is good criticism? What if your bliss is, well, kind of a downer for other people sometimes? Insights are gained that would be forever opaque if no-one ever made the wrong decision, or found themselves in an unaccountably melancholy mood. Sometimes I'd rather damn the darkness than light a candle. When I try too hard, nothing beams me on. When I'm a bit down, I notice other aspects of life and people and the niche(s) I inhabit than I do in those rare episodic moments of happiness.

Trying too hard to BE HAPPY doesn't make anyone happy. It can even make them a little crazy. But if you know that, there's no reason not to be a little bit silly sometimes, too.

So here's the classic hysteria song, "Happy Happy Joy Joy." Yeah, it does beam me on, but maybe only because my brother and I had so much fun watching it. Doesn't it illustrate the whole point? And yet, doesn't undermining the idea of forced happiness make you feel silly and kind of happy anyway? Enjoy!


Link:

Ren And Stimpy - Happy Happy Joy Joy

Hello boys and girls, this is your old pal, Stinky Wizzleteats
This is a song about a whale,
NO
this is a song about being happy
That's right!
It's the happy happy, joy joy song!

Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy joy

I don't think you're happy enough, that's right!
I'll TEACH you to be happy!
I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs!
Now boys and girls, lets try it again...

Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy joy!

Iffin you ain`t the grandaddy of all liars!
The little critters of nature - 
they don't know that they're ugly.
That's very funny! A fly marrying a bumble bee!
"I TOLD you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me!
WHY didn't you believe me?"

Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy, joy joy
Happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy, joy joy joyyyy!