Has the death of Harold Ramis left the world a less funny place? MSNBC's "Morning Joe" explored the issue this morning, as NBC News political director Chuck Todd led the show in a discussion of how grievously unfunny the New York Times obituary of Ramis was. Chuck Todd is an expert on what is and is not funny. Here, for devoted students of comic technique, is a transcript of Todd's remarks:

Harold Ramis wrote and/or directed the greatest American movies of my generation, a generation that was smarter than it should've been and doomed to professional mediocrity. The only sane solution was to try to have a little fun in the process of being disappointed by everything.

A video of Jonah Hill and Maroon 5 performing a song about handjobs has been making the rounds, apparently from before Hill made Superbad. And while the clip all together is super bad, the song turns out to be so bad that it's kind of good.

Jerry Seinfeld, the most successful comedian in the world and maker of comedy for and about white people, isn't interested in trying to include non-white anything in his work.

Comedians are basically psychotics, says a new study from the University of Oxford's department of experimental psychology.

Has anyone seen one of these giftcards around New York City? This Tumblr, run by someone called King Bozo, documents cards given to people in coffee shops, subway trains, and book stores around the city. The cards end up being strangely funny, strangely pretty, or just strange.

On last night's episode of Oprah Where Are They Now, comedy's red-headed stepchild, the prop-schticked Carrot Top, ran us through his upkeep regime, and in the process asked us to excuse his beauty.

"Twitter writer" Kelly Oxford just sold a TV comedy. Hope it's more original than her past stuff?

Sassy-television-detective-turned-action-hero Bruce Willis just hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time since 1989, with musical guest Katy Perry. One of the episode's highlights was this amusing digital short about the secret manly society of boy dance parties, a stress-relieving breakdown of herky-jerky man-cave moves that're "not homoerotic, just a call for brotherly unity." This is a rare instance where a twerking joke still really works.

Prepare to high-five a million Tina Fey angels: she's developing a new show for NBC, that should be like "Cheers... on Fire Island." What? Whatever, I mean obviously we'll take it.

The entertainment at the LA Sheriff's Department "Sheriffs Day Luncheon" yesterday was a stand-up comedian who reportedly told lots of racist jokes, and then received a plaque of appreciation from the LA Sheriff. Yes? And? Sounds like they chose the entertainment perfectly.

An apology is in order: Kanye West's ill-fated Curb You Enthusiasm clone isn't horrible. Tonight the full, half-hour version, once feared lost to history, was screened before a small audience. It was one of the most batshit crazy, wonderful pieces of television you can't imagine.

Jack Handey has written "Deep Thoughts" for Saturday Night Live, "Shouts and Murmurs" for The New Yorker, and last week published his first novel, The Stench of Honolulu. He is one of the funniest living writers in the world today. He spoke to us via email about comedy, the perils of notoriety, and the best nut.

Did you know: in 2010, someone uploaded a clip of Kanye West's improv sitcom HBO pilot to YouTube, and nobody noticed? Three full years and four Kanye albums have passed, and we haven't made fun of him for this. Let's do that riii-iiight now.

In my experience, the Hangover movies are mildly amusing when they aren't despicable. They are founded on a clever premise (retracing the steps of the blackout night before). They relish the joy and profound weirdness that stupidity can produce. They touch on relevant cultural practices and obsessions like eternal adolescence, bro culture, the mispronunciation of words and asshole-spotting.

Noted comedy misogynist/part-time cross-dresser Jerry Lewis reiterated his distaste for women comedians at a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival today. Here is the AP's recap:

In the most recent episode of Inside Amy Schumer, comedian Amy Schumer’s new show on Comedy Central, there is a sketch about not taking a compliment. A group of women greets each other by doling out kind words and then immediately dismissing the accolade. Oh I look pretty? No I actually look like Susan Boyle's toothbrush.

GQ has published an amazing interview with comedian/smirking beet Ricky Gervais, in which writer Chris Heath calls him on his arrogant shit, Gervais faintly protests and then backs right into confirming the accusations of assholery anyway. This happens again and again. If self-awareness is the string, Gervais is a yo-yo.

Our first choice of actor to stage a dramatic reading of "The Most Deranged Sorority Girl Email You Will Ever Read" was, of course, Richard Dreyfuss.

Jonathan Winters, the comedian who helped make "improv" a household term and kept audiences laughing for over half a century, died last night of natural causes at his home in Montecito, California. He was 87.