What is a Fun Stopper?
You may not know the definition of a Fun Stopper, but I’m sure you have at least one in your life. A Fun Stopper, a person who is physically incapable of enjoying life, exhibits symptoms such as:
- limited and/or non-existent sense of humor
- tendency to take one’s self too seriously
- insistence to over analyze everything, including but not limited to jokes, resulting in everyone within ear-shot attempting to stab their eyes out with a dulled pencil point
- inability to feel warm and fuzzies
Is There a Cure?
The Fun Stoppers can be cured, but much like GI Joe, knowing is half the battle. In the case of a Fun Stopper, he/she normally does not recognize the disease; more likely, the Fun Stopper believes everyone else is infected, which makes administering a cure quite difficult.
What Can You Do?
Avoid
If a Fun Stopper in your life is nothing more than an annoyance, I suggest simply keeping your distance. For example, de-friend the Facebook pal who can’t stop making negative comments or posts; steer clear of the rude cashier at the store; request the hygienist with the sunny disposition and soft touch at your next dentist appointment.
Assist
Avoiding or excluding the Fun Stopper may not always be possible, especially if he/she is of your own flesh and blood. And as the holidays are approaching, the people-to-people ratio is undoubtedly going to quadruple at the local eateries, shops and quite possibly, in your own home. Consequently, sightings of the Fun Stoppers will increase. In an effort to 1. cope with forced interactions and 2. help cure the Fun Stopper, try the following:
- Find the woman who is complaining (loudly) that the store will not accept her expired-in-2011 coupon. Hug her.
- If you witness a guy contemplating not tipping his waitress because he had to wait 4 minutes for a water refill, sit on his lap and sing a Christmas carol.
- Target the Fun Stopper in your family and joyfully recall better times: “Remember when you were 30 pounds lighter and happier? Let’s go to that place.”
Also Known As…
Do not be fooled or confused by semantics. The Fun Stopper also goes by the following names:
Party Pooper
Killjoy
Stick in the Mud
Bubble Burster
Wave Maker
Thanks for the advice!
No problem 🙂
I loathe Fun Stoppers! Thanks for the Stick in the Mud graphic to help explain 😉 Here’s hoping that less people sans senses of humor cross your path!
Haha! I figured that stick would do the trick 😉
I recently had to deal with a Fun Stopper. Three very long months on my daughter’s soccer team. This woman complained about EVERYTHING! Can I just say that I’m soooooo glad the season is over. Perhaps I should’ve spiked her coffee with Bailey’s Irish Cream? Maybe that would’ve helped her grumpiness on Saturday mornings.
Aww, man! That’s the worst–you have to put up with the Fun Stopper for the sake of your kid. I highly suggest spiking YOUR coffee; it’ll make her more bearable 😉
The good news is that Fun Stoppers tend to gravitate toward other Fun Stoppers which makes it easier to avoid them in one fell swoop, assist them all at once (“my name is ____, and I am a Fun Stopper”), or just abolish them all together. But then who would provide balance for the rest of us Fun Starters?
I never thought of it that way–great point!!! I feel like the Fun Stoppers in my life travel alone rather in packs, but I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for Schools of Stoppers now 😉
Oh God I have one of these in my family–well, two, actually. They pissed off enough others in my family to the point that my mom, sister and I are doing our Thanksgiving holiday without them this year–who needs that kind of negativity and drama in their lives? The older I get, the easier it is to shed the Fun Stoppers. Excellent post and so funny. You nailed it!
Good for you for putting distance between you and the Fun Stoppers! Have a fantastic, FUN Thanksgiving this year! 🙂
A good reminder for all of us to see the positive side to things and people! My son recently accused me of not letting him have any fun…he is 7. I won’t recount the conversation here and now, but it was painful!
Haha! What’s a 7-year-old know?! Right?? 😉
My challenge to everyone reading this post is to use “Remember when you were 30 pounds lighter and happier? Let’s go to that place.” sometime over this holiday season.
I like that. Let me know how it goes because I already got a text message from a family member who read my post: “IS THIS ABOUT ME? THAT PART ABOUT BEING 30 POUNDS LIGHTER?” Yoi. 🙂
What took me so long to find you? Nothingbythebook just turned me on to you.
Welcome!!!! Hugs to Nothingbythebook for turning you on. To my blog, of course.
😉
Haha. Oh dear.