The Rules of the Funny

Last week we had a discussion about what makes funny stuff funny. In a similar spirit, I thought I'd present the golden rules of comedy, as dictated by Preston Sturges, one of the funniest writer/directors who ever lived (I've mentioned it on the show, but I'm not convinced there's a funnier movie than The Lady Eve).

Sturges' Rules:

1. A pretty girl is better than a plain one.
2. A leg is better than an arm.
3. A bedroom is better than a living room.
4. An arrival is better that a departure.
5. A birth is better than a death.
6. A chase is better than a chat.
7. A dog is better than a landscape.
8. A kitten is better than a dog.
9. A baby is better than a kitten.
10. A kiss is better than a baby.
11. A pratfall is better than anything.