• by Catharine P. Taylor , November 24, 2010

You didn't expect today's column to deal with serious business issues, did you?

I've known for a while that nothing of real business use would take place here at the Social Media Insider on the day before Thanksgiving, but what I didn't know is how I would express it. In fact, if you'd asked me a few days ago, I might've predicted I would go all squishy (in the head!) with this column, listing five maudlin reasons to be thankful for social media: it keeps me in touch with old friends, it's great for fundraising... whatever.

But cruising through Mashable yesterday, I noticed that, maybe in preparation for the holiday, social had gone completely silly -- from Foursquare's new "Baggage Handler" badge where people check in by saying "TSA," "grope" or, of course, "Don't touch my junk, bro!" to Cookie Monster, making his bid to host "Saturday Night Live." Or sometimes I think this is just becoming the usual, hilarious state of affairs. I chuckle stupidly to myself practically every day because of social, and that's a lot to be thankful for. 

Face it (can I say that? Does Facebook own the trademark yet?): One reason we love social is because it makes us laugh. Here then, five funny things that wouldn't have come to my attention, or happened at all, without social media (OK, I admit sometimes my humor is a bit on the dark side):

1.  A Church of England bishop is suspended after making nasty comments on Facebook about the upcoming marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton. He wrote: "We need a party in Calais for all good republicans who can't stand the nauseating tosh that surrounds this event ..."  

2.  Speaking of Cookie Monster, that without social media, Betty White never would have hosted "Saturday Night Live."

3.  The Twitter feeds of @borowitzreport (Andy Borowitz) and @conanobrien.

4.  That people share great things you would have missed otherwise -- like any time Jimmy Fallon and the Roots "Slow Jam the News." This is particularly true when it features Brian Williams.

5.  That more people watched online parodies of Nike's Tiger Woods comeback commercial featuring his father -- than the actual ad.  

Feel free to add your own below -- if you're not busy baking pie. See you next week, when we'll all be much more serious. Too bad!