With Comedy, It’s All About Timing — Especially When You Put a Baby in an Oven

From MSN

So there’s a little bit of hubbub online about some people who staged a photo of their grandbaby in an oven. The way the story goes (supposedly — remember that we’re dealing with the internet here) is that the baby’s dad left the kid with the grandparents for the first time and was doing the typical newbie-parent, nervous thing. So in an effort, I’m assuming, to add a little levity to the situation and mock him for questioning their parenting skills, they set up the “We’re so incompetent that we’re cooking your kid” photo.

The reactions to this have run the spectrum from “Call DCFS” to “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen” to “Everybody needs to get the sticks out of their asses.” So here are my thoughts (since I’m sure everyone cares…).

Today, as the mother of 8 and 10-year-old children who are half-grown, broken-in, and prone to joking themselves, I find this totally hysterical.

Ten years ago, not so much.

Ten years ago, as an exhausted, post-partum depressed, first-time mom who was incredibly touchy and insecure about how I was feeling, whether or not my relatives were too involved or not involved enough, and a host of other worries that now seem really ridiculous, I would not have found this the least bit amusing. In fact, it probably would have put me over the edge.

They say that’s the thing about comedy — it’s all about timing. But you also have to know your audience. And in my experience, new parents are usually too tired to have much of a sense of humor.

So, moral of the story? Next time, put the 10-year-old in the oven. He’s still small enough, and he’ll probably think it’s hilarious.