Humor and comedy

Comedy

• Comedy has taken different definitions through the ages– Aristotle defined comedy as one of two main

forms of drama—comedy and tragedy• Most contemporary views see comedy as a

form of humorous text

Why are we amused?• Relief theory

– Reducing physiological tension caused by the self-censoring of the baser instincts (Freud)• Sexual humor, bad behavior• Gross-out humor

• Superiority theory– People feel superior or gain a victory over the victims

• Cut-down humor, satire

• Incongruity theory– Violation of an expected pattern “provokes humor in the mind of the

receiver”– (Buijzen & Valkenburg)

• Puns, irony, surprise

High comedy

• Some scholars retain a distinction between high and low comedy– High comedy provides a critique, often quite

stinging, of human foibles and customs, social structure and power, etc.• The Importance of Being Earnest

– Satire and irony are common forms– Dark comedy• Humor relating to subjects normally treated as very

serious or somber

Low comedy

• Low comedy does not imply any social critique and is based on a wide range of topics– Romantic comedy

• Sexual innuendo– Sitcoms

• Stupidity/Naiveté• Cut-downs (physical appearance, power differential)

– Slapstick• Physical comedy

• The great majority of comedy in US mass media would be considered low comedy

What makes a TV show or film funny?

• Some scholars argue that no text is inherently funny. It has to be perceived as funny by the audience member.

• Unlike horror, action or tragedy, reaction to comedy/humor varies widely among audiences and audience members

• The same content may be hilarious or disgusting depending upon the characteristics and personality of the audience member, the circumstances of exposure or the cultural milieu– Men like more aggressive/meaner humor– The older you get, the more sophisticated your tastes for humor– “You had to be there”– Violent or sexual humor; dark humor

• Religious groups may not see the joke– After tragedies, certain events, certain stories, narratives and

comedies are cancelled because they are considered inappropriate• Some forms of comedy would not be seen as funny in the wake of 9/11

Types of humor

• Buijzen & Valkenburg’s (2004) Seven Categories– Slapstick– Surprise– Irony– Clownish humor– Satire– Misunderstanding– Parody

Clownish behavior

Satire

Misunderstanding

• Abbott and Costello “Who’s on First?”

Parody

Slapstick

• Physical humor– Delight in the misfortunes of others• Unless it appears that real serious damage has been

done– However, note dark (black) comedy

– Physical incongruities

Tim Conway

Surprise

• Nearly all humor can be said to have some element of surprise

• Expectations are not met, interpreted by audience members as ‘funny’

• Various forms of incongruity– Puns– Unexpected twists of fate– Strange or fantastic situations

• Aliens on Earth

Irony

• Dependent entirely upon symbolic incongruity, etc.– More demanding of the audience member– High comedy/adult comedy

Adam’s Rib

Romantic

• Usually two attractive protagonists face a number of challenges in their quest (usually true love) and are able to overcome those challenges to reach a happy ending– It is the continued development of new obstacles

and the actions of the protagonists or of fate to overcome those obstacles that provides the humor• Class differences• Bad luck

Philadelphia Story/When Harry Met Sally

Satire

• The difference between a situation and the ideal or between what is claimed to be true and what is actually true provide the comic tension– Protagonists may either be those that challenge the

hypocrisy or are hypocrites themselves• May not be aware of the incongruity between values and

behavior, etc.

• May be critical of individuals or of society as a whole• May attack deviants or may attack the system

(neither necessarily conservative nor progressive)

• Humor can be nasty stuff– It often is based upon public humiliation– The more satirical the humor, the more negative

the reaction, at least among some• May be more effective in getting your social critique

across, though

Dr. Strangelove/Some Like it Hot

Dark side of humor

• Use of humor to assert dominance, superiority– The bully cuts the little kid down and everyone

laughs– We snicker as someone makes a fool of himself

• Norm-breaking behavior seen as inherently funny– Someone engages in ‘inappropriate’ behavior• Sarah Silverman

• Delight in the misfortune of others

Factors often are combined

• For example, surprise and ‘bad behavior’ may be mixed together

Note

• Humor does not ‘travel well’ compared to other types of content– Action/adventure, etc. are more likely to be

successful in foreign markets• The more sophisticated the humor, the larger

the portion of the audience that won’t ‘get it’– This often leads to disappointment or upset