So a basketball coach, a duck and a robot walk into a bar … Sorry, but I’ve only got the setup on that one. OK, I’ll admit it — I’m one of those people who can’t tell a joke. Never could. And I mean never. I’m more successful at observational humor — think Tina Fey, Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld. As it turns out, this is, and always has been, pretty common among women. In the article, “Seriously, the Joke Is Dead,” humor scholar John Morreall told Warren St. John that standard old-school joke telling has typically been a male art form, noting that women prefer humor born of personal understanding:

“I found that women can’t remember jokes. That’s because they don’t give a damn. Their humor is observational humor about the people around that they care about. Women virtually never do that old-style stuff.”

“Women’s-style humor was ahead of the curve,” he said. “In the last 30 years all humor has caught up with women’s humor.”

So back to the basketball coach, the duck and the robot. For some, a simple setup like this can inspire a chuckle. Those folks will likely find it easy to celebrate National Humor Month, which turns 35 this year. But others might require more to make them laugh. My sense of humor is sort of all over the place but there are some usual suspects that always elicit giggles to guffaws depending on my mood. I never miss an episode of 30 Rock. I’ll repeatedly watch Seinfeld reruns and old Monty Python comedy sketches and movies (and movies that just include one or two of the crew — hello, A Fish Called Wanda) and to this day, seeing Bill Cosby live is among my humor highlights. And of course, there’s The Office — whether Ricky Gervais or Steve Carell is at the helm. So in honor of National Humor Month, I’ll likely queue up a few of my favorites … perhaps The Princess Bride, Raising Arizona or The Big Lebowski.

And to help carry the fun beyond April, here are some tips from Marshall’s article on laughter to help you stay in top funning form:

• Figure out what makes you laugh and do it (or read it or watch it) more often.
• Surround yourself with funny people — be with them every chance you get.
• Develop your own sense of humor. Maybe even take a class to learn how to be a better comic. Be funny every chance you get — as long as it’s not at someone else’s expense!

Oh, and remember to celebrate World Laughter Day on May 1st.

So, what do you find funny? While you’re coming up with books, TV shows, movies and jokes to share, don’t forget to follow How-to Stuff on Facebook and Twitter and check out our new forums!