Let's pause for a moment and have a light-hearted discussion on which among the zodiac signs have the most knack for comedy, according to this ranking created by Reader's Digest with some help from astrologers Liz Simmons and Meghan Rose.
I would like to preface this list by saying that comedy, to an extent, is subjective in that, some people find certain topics, concepts, or even comedic styles funnier than others. There are certain types of comedy that polarize audiences, and similarly, certain types of content may make one side of the crowd squirm or feel awkward, while there are those which everybody no matter on which side of a certain persuasion or issue they stand, will find hilarious. Furthermore, there are cases when the personality of comedians themselves carry the performance, despite the content not always hitting the mark or not being agreeable to everyone. It's just that their delivery of certain jokes or punch lines induce people to laugh at the jokes.
This is to say that I don't completely agree with the ranking done by Reader's Digest, but the insights they present for each of the zodiac signs are quite interesting. Personally, I find dark, dry, sarcastic, witty, and thought-provoking humor relevant and resonant with me. I like comedians who look at issues from all different angles but still retaining their personal flavor and view on a subject. What makes a person funny is a confluence of different factors ranging from their delivery, content, structure, personality, and style.
Having said that, the infographic above shows how Reader's Digest ranked the different zodiac signs from most to least humorous, with Gemini being at the top and Pisces at the bottom. Under each of the signs, they have included which type of humor those signs are inclined to espouse.
The kind of humor that I like can be found on both sides of this list. But that doesn't mean that the other categories of humor are no longer appealing to me. As I said, it depends on the context in which the jokes are being delivered, who is delivering the joke, and how they are delivering it.
Expounding on each of the signs, they described the different characteristics each zodiac sign possessed, and why they ranked the zodiac signs in that order. So, for example, Gemini is at the top because they have great comedic timing and a quick wit. Being verbally fluent, these people are great communicators and excel at wordplay. They also included in these descriptions some examples of comedians under each zodiac sign. For Gemini, we have Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, and Joe Gatto.
Looking at the way they created this ranking, I can only surmise that their primary criteria for ranking is whether the type of humor in which the zodiac signs specialize can make the most number of people laugh. That is, if the type of humor that a certain zodiac sign does or the kind of personality trait that they evoke is niche, then they would rank lower on the list. Which is fair, since it's their list. However, if we're simply going by consensus, then it would probably be more reasonable to look at which comedians throughout history have been considered by the most number of people to be the funniest.
In the US, typically people would say that some of the GOATs of comedy are Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Joan Rivers and Jerry Seinfeld among others, although this is not an exhaustive list. Granted, several of these comedians with the exception of Eddie Murphy populate the top five of the ranking, so perhaps they are on to something.
Whether one's inclination to comedy is written in the stars or not, I think still depends on a variety of factors, and I would argue requires a good mixture of different types of humor. They need to have the flexibility to use their full arsenal and continuously hone their craft through experience, observation, and empathy.
Something that struck me as odd is that Pisces, the lowest ranking zodiac sign, was placed at the bottom because of their tendency to be deeply sensitive and empathetic. And perhaps, they have a point in that, since comedy tries to bring to the surface certain ideas, concepts, or issues that some people might find offensive, they choose not to engage in those conversations. But I do believe that comedians are quite empathetic people, and at the same time, they are courageous enough to talk about challenging, awkward, or even taboo subjects. They do so not to be mean-spirited about it, to ridicule those who subscribe to certain values or believes, or to push a certain agenda. Rather, they do so to highlight the absurdity of a certain line of thinking or behavior, or the human foibles on both sides of an issue.
Humor and levity are part of the human experience. It touches every aspect of our lives from the deeply significant and consequential to the trivial, mundane things that we do every day. And I wouldn't say that just because a person ranks at the bottom of this list, that they should give up on their dream of becoming a comedian. There are several people who are at the bottom five who have had successful careers in comedy. Comedians like Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, or Kate McKinnon have zodiac signs at the bottom of the list, but that didn't define their comedic careers.
As with anything, even if somebody has a knack or a talent for a certain field or endeavor, that talent still needs to be polished. We need to make an effort and work hard to hone our craft, and all of these comedians, whether they be at the top five or the bottom five of this list, have worked very hard to become successful in comedy. So, this list definitely gave some insights, but it shouldn't discourage anyone to pursue a career in comedy. All the more, it should be a motivation that would fuel those people to work hard to run after their dreams.
(Image credit: Reader's Digest)