Response to speaker

I really appreciated the speaker, finding him immensely funny and entertaining. I found his Ideas about humor to be both informative and insightful. In particular I enjoyed his discussion of how jokes, generally, were not something you could just force out. Rather, they are the product of a sort of natural thought flow about a subject matter. Though It was clear that he had a clear appreciation, and predilection for, political humor, this didn't stop me from taking away a great deal from his presentation. I even wrote a few things he said down, both because they were true and because they were hysterical. The articles he told us about were really funny pieces, and I was happy to see that he read McSweeney's. Now I feel less guilty about the library hours I have wasted on that site.

Somewhat belated Essay Idea

For this topic, pick a humorist who intrigues you, and develop a theory as to that humorist’s “brand of humor.” Take a closer look at his work, study her technique, read about his background or biography. What is the rhetoric of that humorist? What influenced her work? What, if any, are the messages or import of his humor? How has this person influenced comedy and humor in our culture?


Topic: A great deal of today's humorists employ a method of delivery that inoperates, to varrying degrees, an unmodulated (or aytpically modulated) tone of voice, a sort of nervous, deadpan, or otherwise naturalistic stage presence, and humor which delves more into absurdity of everyday life or skewed perceptions of mundane objects or events. It could be said that these trends were always extant in the realm of humor, and, to be sure, this is probably true. Therefore, while it may be unfair to say he was the progenitor of all these things, it is certainly true that he brought them all together in a winning combination that has been recycled and re-used, to varying degrees, by a number of the most famous american comedians from will ferrel to jon stewart. Mitch Hedberg might not be the father of 21st century comedy, but he was certainly its firstborn son. With mannerisms, a persona, and style all his own Mitch Hedberg, in his own way, revolutionized standup comedy. Praised, at his death in 2005, by entertainment weekly as "Comedy's Kurt Cobain," Mitch Hedberg was, if nothing else, a true innovator and a peerless comic. In my paper I hope to explore the elements of his style that made him so appealing, and also explore is comedic Legacy.

Sketch Comedy is a type of comedy that is characterized by a series of sketches, or short scenes, of a comedic nature. This brand of comedy was once popular in vaudeville performances, and has now become a staple of late night television shows. SNL, Monty Python The Flying Circus, and Kids in the Hall are all examples of sketch comedy. Such shows string together a large number of such short scenes to form a complete program. Improvisational comedy, which is comedy that is imporvized on stage, also makes use of impormptu sketches and scenes of a comedic nature. Examples of this Include The Upright Citizen's Brigade (a New York Based Improv group which I like to go see sometimes at the UCB theater in NYC) and The Second City.

An Example of Sketch Comedy Follows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH7n_t48k3w

Sitting Down to write this is something that I have, admittedly, been kind of dreading for the bulk of the week. I've never really been a fan of Seinfeld-ian humor. Largely, I think, because neither his delivery, nor the subjects he explores are particularly stimulating or provocative. I mean, granted, Seinfeld was a Network TV show, and so was constrained, with regards to the scope of its focus, to all but the least sensitive of subjects. I think that discomfort can be a valuable part of humor. When a comedian ventures into territory that makes you squirm a bit, one cannot help but laugh, even if it only is nervous laughter. I'm not entirely sure this release theory thing is nessecarily essentail however. The two comedians we saw in class last tuesday, for instance, explored pretty safe topics (Drive-thrus , and all kinds of stuff), yet provoked laughter. Why? Because they delivered their jokes in a way that was stimulating, interesting, and novel. You felt, in both cases, like you were watching a performance, like you were seeing something out of the ordinary, and you were entertained by it. Seinfeld by contrast just seems like a guy complaining... a lot.

So yeah, thats my two cents on the subject.

I showed some of my friends the Wicker Man Clip that we watched last week. It was well received. I'm pretty certain Nick Cage is the best comedic actor of this or any generation. It seems hard to imagine some of these lines could be delivered with a straight face. I'd like to see a movie featuring him and Samuel Jackson. That would be hysterical.

Prop 8: The Musical

This, relatively short, video, is quite obviously a response to california's recent legislative action vis-a -vis Gay Marriage.
Its pretty clear this is intended ot be more than plainly humorous, though it certainly is funny, rather, it seems to be a send up of the notions which underpin (at least in the m i nds of the videomaker) the mentality of those who oppose them. By making people laugh at a set of ideas, one can make an idea seem laughable. In the language of the article, this seems to be an attempt to transport a serious topic into a joking context. To my mind, however, this is an attempt to use humor as a weapon, to make people take Something less seriously by making them laugh at it. Tina Fay's Sarah Palin sketches represent a similar use of humoras a tool to discredit someone. The Video follows:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones