What is funny?
Comedy is not a science, it's art. Therefore there are no rules and it can be very subjective. What one person finds funny another might cringe at.
One thing worth noting is that when analysing comedy and what is funny, it is almost like it is only visible out of the corner of your eye. As soon as you try and look directly at it and analyse it too much... all of the funniness disappears...
Why do we find things funny? Why does this reaction force us to convulse and make that noise?
I have no idea.
There is no simple answer to why something is funny... Something is funny because it captures a moment, it contains an element of simple truth, it is something that we have always known for eternity and yet are hearing it now out loud for the first time.
I think that our need to feel intelligent comes into play a lot in finding things funny... maybe humour is actually the overwhelming joy at feeling intelligent. Somebody tries to put on their shoes standing up and falls over in the process. They look foolish, we therefore feel intelligent as we are not the one falling over trying to put on shoes.
We laugh.
Someone makes a clever joke and only a few people get it. If we get the joke we recognise the person as being clever and feel clever ourselves as we understood the concept.
We laugh.
So is humour partly to do with self congratualtion at being intelligent?
Comedy is full of opposites and contradictions.
Something is funny because...
1. ...It is expected
A woman buys white coat she has been saving up for for ages. She tells the shop keeper she has dreamed of wearing it for months and been saving up. The shop keeper says that this is the last one in stock. We see the woman's gleeful face as she tries on her new lovely white coat.
We cut to a scene of a park keeper painting a bench black... oh and let's really overstate it... he's painting the bench black by the zebra enclosure in a zoo. We know what's going to happen already. The comedy is in the anticipation and expectation as we build up to the inevitable moment where she sits on the wet black bench in her new white coat and ends up with black stripes across her back.
2. ...it is unexpected
A hunter is out hunting rabbits. He finds a rabbit hole and sends his dog down. After five minutes of nothing he sticks his head down the hole to find the rabbit and dog playing cards.
Or let's go for a twist... That same woman buys her white coat and approaches the wet black bench.
"Look out!" yells the zoo keeper.
" Oh thanks," says the woman, "I almost sat on that."
An escaped lion leaps in from the side and mauls her.
3. ...it is familiar
A woman places a tin in her trolley and turns to fetch another. While she is not looking, her trolley rolls away sideways. We laugh a knowing laugh as we recognise the age old problem of shopping trolleys rolling sideways.
4. ...it is unfamiliar
A woman places a tin in her trolley and turns to fetch another. While she is not looking, her trolley floats up into the air out of sight. We laugh a shocked laugh as we didn't expect that.
The original meaning of the word comedy was merely a dramatic play that was the opposite of tragedy.
Tragedy involved big important characters (usually falling from grace). It would often end badly and would explore high themes of power and betrayal etc.
Comedy, on the other hand, usually revolved around normal people moving up in the world and would feature a happier ending. This was the origin of the word comedy.
In literary circles, people often talk of high comedy and low comedy.
High comedy is seen as intellectual wit, often set among high society and using clever characterisations and complex situations. (Oscar Wilde, P G Wodehouse )
Low comedy uses coarse language, slapstick and farce. (Monty Python, Little Britain)
There are various types of comedy, including:
slapstick
Joe picks up a large plank. Fred behind him says "Hey Joe, careful with that plank!" Joe turns round saying "What?" and whacks Fred in the face with the plank.
parody
Parody is where a work deliberately mimmicks the style of another for comic effect or ridicule.
spoof
Spoof is light parody or gentle imitation. Is it not necessarily intended to ridicule or make fun of the thing being spoofed but the comedy happens in the recognition of the piece being spoofed. For instance, a woman in glasses with tied up hair who is obviously beautiful anyway takes off her glasses and then unties her hair and shakes it loose. As she does, her wig falls off. We all recognise the Hollywpood moment and so this is funny not just because her wig falls off but we are fully aware of the reference and know that usually this is not supposed to happen.
satire
Satire is where a section of society or politics is deliberately mimicked and mocked in order to poke fun at them and point criticism using humour. e.g. Catch-22 is a satire of war.
irony
Irony is where the opposite of what is expected happens or where someone says the opposite of what they mean. The lack of harmony between something that is expected and the reality (so if you moved jobs from being a dustman to being in a bank but were being paid less then some would point out a certain irony.)
sarcasm
sarcasm is where an insult or quick remark is fired at someone with the intention of causing injury. It is often used in repsonse to an initial statement or comment in order to pour scorn on the stated idea or statement. Sarcasm often features irony (for instance, someone drops a tray and someone else shouts "Ooh, that was SO clever.")
farce
This is where comedy is achieved through exaggeration and extreme characters in preposterous circumstances that seem to spiral out of control and become ever more ludicrous.
black comedy
This is a dark comedy where a light humored touch is applied to very dark and serious subject matter in order to ease the pain or make some specific point by juxtaposing the humour and the sadness.
Surrealism
Throwing together completely disjointed concepts and random ideas to weave together something bizarre. (I once heard a very funny stand up comedian come out with: "Suppose you're a fish... (pause) how the f*** you suppsoed to get to the airport?... (pause) They don't make rivers go that way."
Timing
Probably the most mysterious part of performance comedy. In any performance comedy a rhythm is destablished and people often talk about beats. A beat is a small pause put in place to enhance a joke... sometime after the punchline to enable the audience time to react and get the joke, but often a pause is placed before a line to build expectation. It can also be used to throw in a double punchline. the punchline is delivered.. (laugh) (pause) ...Second punchline follows on that audience weren't expecting. These beats are often called 'pregnant pauses' as they are full of expectation.
Some basic techniques...
Misunderstanding
Joe is holding a large girder in the round. Fred is holding a large hammer.
Joe: "When I nod my head, you hit it."
Joe nods.
Fred hits Joe over the head with the hammer.
pun and wordplay
Probably the second oldest joke after the chicken/road effort:
A: My dog's got no nose.
B: How does he smell?
A: Awful.
mock epic and travesty
These are actually literary terms used in discussion of straight literature and plays however but they can be employed very effectively in comedy.
Mock epic is basically where something very trivial is treated as if it were high and lofty and important on a grand scale.
Travesty is the oposite - high and important issues treated very lightly as if they were trivial.
double entendre
Typical british 'saucy postcard humour': A vicar with an umbrella is having trouble with opening it and so he says to some woman in a tennis skirt "Can you help me get it up?" and she says "Oh my, it is a big one!"
stereotypes
Stereotypes work because we immediately recognise the character and so we are familiar with what sort of person this is without too much information needing to be given. The problem is that they very quickly become old and repetitive and so you have to try and spot new stereotypes or add a twist to an old one to avoid the joke looking tired.
A few other techniques and structures that are often used:
Out of context
Everyday objects used for other purposes or people assuming roles they should not occupy.
Banana used as a gun in a bank raid.
Hopsital cleaner called in to help with brain surgery.
Characteristic swap
Attributing human characteristics to animals and objects or attributing animal/object qualities to humans.
Man arguing with a toaster and accusing it of deliberately burning his bread.
A man gives directions and says "go over the hill and past the sleeping tramp..."
Other person asks if the sleeping tramp is a pub, person replies and says "No, there's a tramp asleep on the bench."
the infectious wisdom of the fool
A wrong opinion is expressed and catches on with others. Often a wise person will say something and a fool will hear it and misinterpret it loudly. A second fool hears it and agrees and so the wise person then has to race about coreecting it to prevent the foolishness from spreading.
An example of this from a photoshoot sketch:
LORNA: Oh, hang on
PHOTOGRAPHER: Yes?
LORNA: What's my motivation for this shoot?
PHOTOGRAPHER: You'll get paid, don't worry
LORNA: No, what's my character's motivation?
PHOTOGRAPHER: There isn't any... ok?
LORNA: Ok, got it
PHOTOGRAPHER: Right, poses.... now, on 3... Lorna, what's with the face?
LORNA: I'm trying to look demotivated.
NIKKI: Oh, sorry, I wasn't doing that
PHOTOGRAPHER: I don't want either of you looking demotivated!
The flawed plan
A character is discussing a plan but it is obvious to the audience that one glaring aspect of it is doomed to fail. This can either be due to information the audience has been told elsewhere or it can simply be that the character is overlooking something blatantly obvious.
Paralleling reality
Taking a familiar framework but replacing all the elements. The situation is familiar but the details are bizarre. The hotel sketch is a good example of this... we recognise the set up and the social norms at work, but there is a mini-bar full of various types of beans rather than alcohol, but this appears to be accepted as proper by the characters involved.
**its all about relating to the audience. Comedy also requires BIG characters. But what marries the two is either a character that a.) relates to the audience/ "normal" in comparison(arrested development-michael bluth) or b.) have the big characters check in with the audience-actually interact with them. Comedy always points out things that are already there but have not yet been said (usually using specific language/physical devices), things that we all experience; Therefore you need a point of reference for the audience. Otherwise we just get lost. Comedy is extremities.
Comedy needs:
audience
extremes
relatable quality-->comedy is truth
opposites
Comedy uses:
devices
categorize it!
sell it!
have fun with it!
To Create:
1. I ask, "Why this funny now?" I'm researching what comedy has been, is today and will be in relation to who, what and where the audience is. I will use this information to create new, cutting-edge comedy work of my own.
2. Key Points
a. What is comedy/What is 'funny'?
b. What was considered funny in the past
c. Why things are considered funny to certain people at certain times-->How comedy relates to society
--> Why we utilize(need) comedy
3. How could you illuminate those key points
a. Create Definition-->Video, animation, puppets, etc.
b. Timeline/Chart-->Top-Grossing//Most Popular movies, stand up, people, etc. (each year, decade??)
---->Does money matter? How does money factor in?
c. Major Discussion-->Small Symposium?
--->This project relies heavily on the opinions of others, how can I answer all the questions myself
**How to Present--Based on results of survey;Give the people what they want!
2. Key Points
a. What is comedy/What is 'funny'?
b. What was considered funny in the past
c. Why things are considered funny to certain people at certain times-->How comedy relates to society
--> Why we utilize(need) comedy
3. How could you illuminate those key points
a. Create Definition-->Video, animation, puppets, etc.
b. Timeline/Chart-->Top-Grossing//Most Popular movies, stand up, people, etc. (each year, decade??)
---->Does money matter? How does money factor in?
c. Major Discussion-->Small Symposium?
--->This project relies heavily on the opinions of others, how can I answer all the questions myself
**How to Present--Based on results of survey;Give the people what they want!
Demetri Martin
(so i'm trying to use this blog as my notebook now, so i apologize for the messiness)
Demitri Martin-
-"equations"
P(# of slices of pizza)
M+F(me and all my friends)
= S-1(one less slice than i want) = BS (bullshit)
its only funny bc of the "bullshit" at the end
-all of his little card transitions-letting the audience in on a joke
"--> Go to commercial -->Quit and get a real job"
its like in clown how you HAVE to share with the audience-something i find extremely hard to do.
like little kids, how they think they are the funniest people ever(which is usually true) and they have to make sure that everybody sees it. Comedians (DM)<--> Clowns=>COMEDY
Demitri Martin-
-"equations"
P(# of slices of pizza)
M+F(me and all my friends)
= S-1(one less slice than i want) = BS (bullshit)
its only funny bc of the "bullshit" at the end
-all of his little card transitions-letting the audience in on a joke
"--> Go to commercial -->Quit and get a real job"
its like in clown how you HAVE to share with the audience-something i find extremely hard to do.
like little kids, how they think they are the funniest people ever(which is usually true) and they have to make sure that everybody sees it. Comedians (DM)<--> Clowns=>COMEDY
Survey!
This is the most basic survey I've come up with to gather the basic information I need right now from the class.
Click here to take survey
Click here to take survey
Things I noticed...
SO, on this lovely day off I was sitting in my aunts house, babysitting, and I was watching this TV show on Disney called Wizards of Waverly Place. Its one of those run-of-the-mill Disney shows; campy comedy, all scenes shot on a sound stage, attractive people that don't actually look related, etc. but while this one fits all of those categories-its hilarious! It really is enjoyable and after a few episodes and Banton went to sleep, I still wanted to watch it. This sparked my curiosity considering I'm a college student, NOT an 8 year old girl, so I looked into it a little bit. It's won a TON of awards, in the US and Internationally, has been made into a movie and a sequel is in the mix, but what interested me most was not in the wikipedia information page, but why I thought it was so entertaining. After watching it a little more I realized it was the main character that was the best part-the sassy pre-teen(selena gomez)is kind of a bitch! Usually in Disney shows the main character is sweet and likable but has trials and tribulations that young girls can relate to and learn from, but Alex Russo is this rude, self-absorbed, lazy young wizard just trying to make it by doing as little work as possible. I couldn't believe it-the reason I thought it was so funny was because of her (and her family-equally hilarious), their weird comedy that was rude and bitter-which said so much of my life and the world we all live in. THere are so many problems that we refuse to do anything about which usually moves to bitterness and quick wit. BAM.
Hot Sheet
This week: The past week I've had a major revelation and I'm pushing forward with something kind of different, but its good! WHY THIS FUNNY NOW? Exploring what is funny now and why it is that way; Like, why is (blank) funny right now? Note the shifts in comedy as society itself shifts-find patterns. Oh and I revisited the article that gave me the idea for this project.
Sources: GQ article-in my last post
Next week: I want to get moving forward with my survey. I want to (continue) to put that together and make it concrete and ready for feedback next week. Start on timeline of comedy/society's happenings.
Obstacles: Moving faster/slower than is really possible, I don't exactly know where this is going still...
Steps: Just stay on top of this and really follow through with it-I still trust it will lead me somewhere-->Predicting the next need for comedy? Producing that?
Seminar: I want to utilize the seminar NEXT week, when I have substantial things to explore with them (the survey, etc)
Sources: GQ article-in my last post
Next week: I want to get moving forward with my survey. I want to (continue) to put that together and make it concrete and ready for feedback next week. Start on timeline of comedy/society's happenings.
Obstacles: Moving faster/slower than is really possible, I don't exactly know where this is going still...
Steps: Just stay on top of this and really follow through with it-I still trust it will lead me somewhere-->Predicting the next need for comedy? Producing that?
Seminar: I want to utilize the seminar NEXT week, when I have substantial things to explore with them (the survey, etc)
Why this funny now?
1. Compare "funny" things to class-Get generalized idea of funny(for 20 something art students in Seattle)
-Videos
YouTube, Funny or Die, SNL, AFHV
(Compare randomly, then find patterns-->Context?)
-TV Shows
SNL, MadTV, The Office, Modern Family, Arrested Development
(Highly ranked funny vs. under the radar-->What do we like about either?)
-Comedians
Zach Galifinakis, Kathy Griffin, Dane Cook,
-Situations
People falling,
What do you remember about these? What stuck out to you? Do you know why you think that's funny?
COMIC STRIPS???
GQ ARTICLE
-"That's what this nation was built on[comedy]"
true? are we a comedy-based nation? are we funnier than other countries?
-*What are the American Classic Comedies?
1 for every year/decade? Starting with Charlie Chaplin...
-In such an un-funny time in America, how can we make it funny again?
-Tracy Morgan talks about Zach G. being "built for comedy". When it comes to comedians, can you be "built for it"? Is it like talent, where you either have it or don't? Based on looks? Comedic timing? Whats vitally important to comedy?
-SEE CHART
-Tracy Morgan on fit people not being funny, "Their personalities aren't cultivated. I mean, everything they get in life is based on their looks."
-->can hot people be funny? its the same women not being funny idea...
-Woody Allen- "If you think you're really funny, you're probably not"
-GQ: But you must think you're kind of funny if you get up onstage and tell jokes.
ZACH: I don't have any skills. It's the only thing I can do. You know what is always funny to me, also? And this is pretty specific. It's the tuba.
-TM: "Cool is the enemy of funny"
-Taking David Letterman for granted-he introduced so much to this culture and now its a "barometer for comedy". (irony & absurdity)
-GQ: Is Tyler Perry funny? If you say he's not funny, are you being racist?
TRACY: I guess he's funny, because his last movie opened up at $30 million.
-->does $$$ mean 'funny'??
-Make fun of everyone. 'white humor' vs. 'black humor'
Friedman, Devin. "Three of Our Most Serious Minds Confer..." GQ (2010). GQ.com. Aug. 2010. Web. Fall 2010..
This article sprung my interest in comedy study over the summer. I love comedy generally, but this article brought a few things to my attention;Particularly, the only girl comedians are dressed as cute as possible and Paul Rudd has make-up on and 'what's always funny?'. This interview with today's hottest comedians in pop culture is such a valid opinion piece because they do this all the time and its a point of view that sparked my own.
-->Take all photos from this article and ask which ones are funny/why.
they're all similar, but have differences...
http://www.gq.com/entertainment/humor/201008/tracy-morgan-paul-rudd-zach-galifianakis-comedy-issue-photos#slide=1
-Videos
YouTube, Funny or Die, SNL, AFHV
(Compare randomly, then find patterns-->Context?)
-TV Shows
SNL, MadTV, The Office, Modern Family, Arrested Development
(Highly ranked funny vs. under the radar-->What do we like about either?)
-Comedians
Zach Galifinakis, Kathy Griffin, Dane Cook,
-Situations
People falling,
What do you remember about these? What stuck out to you? Do you know why you think that's funny?
COMIC STRIPS???
GQ ARTICLE
-"That's what this nation was built on[comedy]"
true? are we a comedy-based nation? are we funnier than other countries?
-*What are the American Classic Comedies?
1 for every year/decade? Starting with Charlie Chaplin...
-In such an un-funny time in America, how can we make it funny again?
-Tracy Morgan talks about Zach G. being "built for comedy". When it comes to comedians, can you be "built for it"? Is it like talent, where you either have it or don't? Based on looks? Comedic timing? Whats vitally important to comedy?
-SEE CHART
-Tracy Morgan on fit people not being funny, "Their personalities aren't cultivated. I mean, everything they get in life is based on their looks."
-->can hot people be funny? its the same women not being funny idea...
-Woody Allen- "If you think you're really funny, you're probably not"
-GQ: But you must think you're kind of funny if you get up onstage and tell jokes.
ZACH: I don't have any skills. It's the only thing I can do. You know what is always funny to me, also? And this is pretty specific. It's the tuba.
-TM: "Cool is the enemy of funny"
-Taking David Letterman for granted-he introduced so much to this culture and now its a "barometer for comedy". (irony & absurdity)
-GQ: Is Tyler Perry funny? If you say he's not funny, are you being racist?
TRACY: I guess he's funny, because his last movie opened up at $30 million.
-->does $$$ mean 'funny'??
-Make fun of everyone. 'white humor' vs. 'black humor'
Friedman, Devin. "Three of Our Most Serious Minds Confer..." GQ (2010). GQ.com. Aug. 2010. Web. Fall 2010.
This article sprung my interest in comedy study over the summer. I love comedy generally, but this article brought a few things to my attention;Particularly, the only girl comedians are dressed as cute as possible and Paul Rudd has make-up on and 'what's always funny?'. This interview with today's hottest comedians in pop culture is such a valid opinion piece because they do this all the time and its a point of view that sparked my own.
-->Take all photos from this article and ask which ones are funny/why.
they're all similar, but have differences...
http://www.gq.com/entertainment/humor/201008/tracy-morgan-paul-rudd-zach-galifianakis-comedy-issue-photos#slide=1
ay yi yi
So, today I had a bit of a meltdown with Chris. I'm lost at sea here and I know it and she knows it and everyone else probably knows too. So, here I am...back at one.
Some things I've been thinking about the past couple of hours...
1. I started this project with an end result in mind-I wanted to start a theater company. Conveniently, one that I had already begun, but didn't just say that because I didn't think I could or didn't think I should or I was just being stupid. Either way it really happened, it did and now I'm here as we all could have expected. But I'm not here to be my own bully, I'm just acknowledging that I've done a lot of work for what feels like nothing.
2. That all being said, this research has lead me down a lot of roads and looking back on it all now I'm realizing what kind of outcome this research has produced out of me rather than what I can produce out of it. So, I've taken inventory of all my writings/readings/etc. and I found that I've been doing a few really weird things since this all started.
a). I'm writing darker, sadder things than I was before. It may just be the stress level or something, but I'm definitely tapping into a side that I usually stray away from.
b). I'm trying to apply this sort of academic formula to all my work. Like the play I just wrote is littered with symbolism, because literally everything has to mean something. My artistic brain stems from this conceptual art sort of place, so everything I do has this very specific formulaic quality that is really affecting my ability to create comedy.
These, of course, are just the tip of the iceberg, but they're just a few observations right now. I'm really feeling like just wiping the slate clean right now. Not abandoning everything I've done up until now, but just for this week, giving myself the freedom to really just do something entirely different to re-acquaint myself with all of this.
I think I want to work on the company.
-What makes us different than all the rest?
-Why us now?
-What is it?
-How can I really do it?
Some things I've been thinking about the past couple of hours...
1. I started this project with an end result in mind-I wanted to start a theater company. Conveniently, one that I had already begun, but didn't just say that because I didn't think I could or didn't think I should or I was just being stupid. Either way it really happened, it did and now I'm here as we all could have expected. But I'm not here to be my own bully, I'm just acknowledging that I've done a lot of work for what feels like nothing.
2. That all being said, this research has lead me down a lot of roads and looking back on it all now I'm realizing what kind of outcome this research has produced out of me rather than what I can produce out of it. So, I've taken inventory of all my writings/readings/etc. and I found that I've been doing a few really weird things since this all started.
a). I'm writing darker, sadder things than I was before. It may just be the stress level or something, but I'm definitely tapping into a side that I usually stray away from.
b). I'm trying to apply this sort of academic formula to all my work. Like the play I just wrote is littered with symbolism, because literally everything has to mean something. My artistic brain stems from this conceptual art sort of place, so everything I do has this very specific formulaic quality that is really affecting my ability to create comedy.
These, of course, are just the tip of the iceberg, but they're just a few observations right now. I'm really feeling like just wiping the slate clean right now. Not abandoning everything I've done up until now, but just for this week, giving myself the freedom to really just do something entirely different to re-acquaint myself with all of this.
I think I want to work on the company.
-What makes us different than all the rest?
-Why us now?
-What is it?
-How can I really do it?
Keith Hitchcock
Keith was a sub for David Taft's clown class. He is a theater artist and a very inspiring comedian. He sat down with me after class for a few minutes and gave me a few pointers...
He was the one who really made the distinction clear to me about what it is that we find funny-the academic answer I've been searching for. It's all (and I've said this before)about the element of surprise, the point/counterpoint and timing-
Things that are unexpected! This requires a set-up. Without setting up what is 'normal' or the control group that an audience can relate to, there's just bizarre shit happening-that can be funny, but only in chance. When constructing comedy, you have to find a way to set-up normalcy so you can break it. The break is the funny.
He also is personally helping me to let go of the audience. Because generally actors are shunned from the audience, but in comedy(clown) its just playing into their expectations. So, by letting go of that pre-concieved notion of who they are and what they want from ActorZam(as we have identified it) and giving into it is really helping me out. Also, its the
Interview Questions
Things to ask people about starting a company:
1. What are the first steps you took to start your own company?
2. What are obstacles you faced?
3. What makes good partners in a company?
4. How do you write a mission statement?
5. Why this now?
Issues I'm facing in trying this out:
1. Asking my friends. I, obviously, think my own friends are the funniest people so I just naturally go to them to make this vision happen, but I'm running into obligatory 'yes'. I've really tried to stress that I won't take it personally if they say no, but its hard to get an honest answer out of them. I want to pitch something official to them, but what is it that I want?
The research I've done has been so helpful in so many ways, but its starting to feel like I've done all this for nothing. Its almost making my clown class harder-to have all of this extra comedy knowledge, because I can so easily get caught up in the cerebral side of theater. I have started to really apply this 'formula' to theater that can't be solved. Theater is not math, Sam.
I'm just frustrated. klsdufalsdfhasjkdfklk
1. What are the first steps you took to start your own company?
2. What are obstacles you faced?
3. What makes good partners in a company?
4. How do you write a mission statement?
5. Why this now?
Issues I'm facing in trying this out:
1. Asking my friends. I, obviously, think my own friends are the funniest people so I just naturally go to them to make this vision happen, but I'm running into obligatory 'yes'. I've really tried to stress that I won't take it personally if they say no, but its hard to get an honest answer out of them. I want to pitch something official to them, but what is it that I want?
The research I've done has been so helpful in so many ways, but its starting to feel like I've done all this for nothing. Its almost making my clown class harder-to have all of this extra comedy knowledge, because I can so easily get caught up in the cerebral side of theater. I have started to really apply this 'formula' to theater that can't be solved. Theater is not math, Sam.
I'm just frustrated. klsdufalsdfhasjkdfklk
This week: I'm having such a hard time! I have set up meetings with a few local people about theater companies, but I don't know what questions to ask them. I also have ZERO time to do anything, let alone watch 2 movies and try to finish reading my book(on comedy). I want to do all of it and I get really excited about it, but then I have 3003924589 other things to do. I am, however, making some progress on getting a group together. We have set up a day to meet-VETERANS DAY-when we have no school to really get some work done. I also have to figure this blog thing out. I have 3 entries that are 'saved' but won't publish-I.T.??
Sources: None to report yet! I have interviews set-up and movies to watch.
Next Week, I want to: Have a bibliography all put together. It's not done yet, but I want to have something concrete. Right now its still in bits and pieces.
Obstacles: I feel like a sitting duck-I'm just waiting for certain days to come around.
Steps: Make the most of the time I have. Like, making an updated bibliography. Or organizing some notes I have.
Seminar: I have a conference this week, so I'm wanting to see if I can get some people to call/e-mail from Chris. And figure out what to ask these people. I'm learning a lot in Clown that deals with this topic, but I just don't even know where to start.
Sources: None to report yet! I have interviews set-up and movies to watch.
Next Week, I want to: Have a bibliography all put together. It's not done yet, but I want to have something concrete. Right now its still in bits and pieces.
Obstacles: I feel like a sitting duck-I'm just waiting for certain days to come around.
Steps: Make the most of the time I have. Like, making an updated bibliography. Or organizing some notes I have.
Seminar: I have a conference this week, so I'm wanting to see if I can get some people to call/e-mail from Chris. And figure out what to ask these people. I'm learning a lot in Clown that deals with this topic, but I just don't even know where to start.
HOT SHEET BABY
This week, I accomplished: I watched 'Comedian'-the Jerry Seinfeld documentary and read more interviews with comedy writers. I want to get more face-to-face time with writers.
The sources:
Comedian. Dir. Christian Charles. Perf. Jerry Seinfeld; Orny Adams. DVD. Miramax Home Entertainment, 2002.
-This documentary was extremely helpful in my realization to venture out into a search for live entertainment vs. recorded (tv, movies, etc.) and for beginning my research into discovering the atmosphere of comedy. (See Also; Transcribed notes from movie)
Next Week, I want to: have all my notes transcribed. I also want to update my blog over the weekend and make it into something organized and NOT like my notebook. I also want to start generating some work of my own.
Obstacles: Time, effort, focus. Mostly time...
Steps: Make this project my ONLY PRIORITY for one day-Saturday. I want to work on this, and only this, on Saturday during the day. Then I have to go to work. I also think talking about this more will help me get some real momentum with it.
Seminar: Presentation for next week? I just wanna get working!
The sources:
Comedian. Dir. Christian Charles. Perf. Jerry Seinfeld; Orny Adams. DVD. Miramax Home Entertainment, 2002.
-This documentary was extremely helpful in my realization to venture out into a search for live entertainment vs. recorded (tv, movies, etc.) and for beginning my research into discovering the atmosphere of comedy. (See Also; Transcribed notes from movie)
Next Week, I want to: have all my notes transcribed. I also want to update my blog over the weekend and make it into something organized and NOT like my notebook. I also want to start generating some work of my own.
Obstacles: Time, effort, focus. Mostly time...
Steps: Make this project my ONLY PRIORITY for one day-Saturday. I want to work on this, and only this, on Saturday during the day. Then I have to go to work. I also think talking about this more will help me get some real momentum with it.
Seminar: Presentation for next week? I just wanna get working!
Just a Heads Up
So, we're quite a ways into this process and I'm finding more and more about...comedy. How general can I be? Its time I ventured out and further in!
I was talking to a friend the other day and realized that I've only been researching things I already know; Comedians, Comedy in the Media, Comedy Troupes, etc.-All the basic stuff. And now that I've kind of exhausted those topics I was starting to get really into writing for comedy (reading interviews with writers of SNL, Conan, Tina Fey, The Office-all the american comedy staples), but its still media comedy and while I love funny TV and movies, I'm not about to be the next great writer of SNL (not yet...right, chris sumption?!). So, while I was talking with this friend I realized that what is really important right now is the difference between comedy in the media and live theater comedy. I was reading that the best advice to give a comedic writer is to really find the voice of whomever your writing for (the person, the character, etc.) and I think the other important step to take is finding the audience your writing for AND finding the atmosphere of comedy. So, that's what I'm working on...for now.
OH! And I've rallied some girls together. Things are about to happen!
Notes on Readings:
-does good comedy have an expiration date?
*whats funny NOW?
-russell brand
-zach galifinakis
-judd apatow productions
-the hangover
-the office
*why doesn't comedy last forever?
-the appealing thing about comedy is that its fresh, its appeals to this audience now. Its just like music, the hair bands were replaced with boy bands who were replaced with pop-r&b artists who are now replaced by boy bands who straighten their hair and wear girl jeans, but are cool because they write their own songs and play instruments-its all topical.
*Why doesn't comedy last forever?
*Pop Culture is always funny-for now. Is it because our society is so obsessed with the "celebrity"??
*Can only the most broad PHYSICAL COMEDY stay relevant for more than a decade?
*comedy caters to its audience
COMEDY WRITING:Doug Abeles, writer for Weekend Update
*Chevy Chase
Dan Aykroyd
Jane Cutrin
Dennis Miller
Norm MacDonald
Tina Fey
Jimmy Fallon
Rodney Rothman
Dave Letterman
Magic Johnson
Politically INcorrect-show
Martin Short
Mike Shoemaker
Mike Schur
Amy Poehler
Seth Meyers
*Comedy writing is writing your sense of humor for another voice-therefore you have to study their voice!
I HAVE CLASS-FINISH LATER
-does good comedy have an expiration date?
*whats funny NOW?
-russell brand
-zach galifinakis
-judd apatow productions
-the hangover
-the office
*why doesn't comedy last forever?
-the appealing thing about comedy is that its fresh, its appeals to this audience now. Its just like music, the hair bands were replaced with boy bands who were replaced with pop-r&b artists who are now replaced by boy bands who straighten their hair and wear girl jeans, but are cool because they write their own songs and play instruments-its all topical.
*Why doesn't comedy last forever?
*Pop Culture is always funny-for now. Is it because our society is so obsessed with the "celebrity"??
*Can only the most broad PHYSICAL COMEDY stay relevant for more than a decade?
*comedy caters to its audience
COMEDY WRITING:Doug Abeles, writer for Weekend Update
*Chevy Chase
Dan Aykroyd
Jane Cutrin
Dennis Miller
Norm MacDonald
Tina Fey
Jimmy Fallon
Rodney Rothman
Dave Letterman
Magic Johnson
Politically INcorrect-show
Martin Short
Mike Shoemaker
Mike Schur
Amy Poehler
Seth Meyers
*Comedy writing is writing your sense of humor for another voice-therefore you have to study their voice!
I HAVE CLASS-FINISH LATER
WHOA NELLY I'M LATE
I KNOW I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER, BUT these are transcriptions of notes taken in the past couple of weeks...
Women
I've noticed the things that people really latch onto with female comedians is a juxtaposition. Like, what makes Ellie Kemper funny is that she looks cute, sweet and "girl-next-door" but her comedy is in your face and vulgar. So, despite my feelings/previous observations, it seems like the times really have changed since Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers-sexy women are the only funny ones! Like you have to be sexy in order to get a job now and then prove that you can stand up with the men.
What I find funny is the details of stand-up-the little things. I watched a stand up and this guy was talking about how when you go to get a drink out of a straw and the straw kind of dances around the glass-in the opposite direction of your mouth-and it was really funny! It was like the relatability that really got me into it. And I think thats true of all writing, because its the way people really talk in playwriting and the details of a woman's outfit in a novel that help people to see, understand and draw conclusions from.
STAND-UP:
Stand-up comedy is the best and worst of all comedy. Stand-up performers have to be writers as well as performers, which is probably one of the hardest jobs. Like in clown, I'm finding the hardest thing to do is the one thing you have to do-show the audience exactly what you're doing. If you're lying, include them in the lie. If you cry, you have to present crying and in my third year of acting school where they teach you to be truthful and in the moment, its hard to have to turn around and show your feelings as well as really feel them rather than just feel them and pursue and action. So, in stand-up you have to put out your own material and really sell it. You have to be the biggest ham in the world to really be a successful comic and its so weird because it can be so successful and so satisfying, but it can also be a trainwreck. Its the most awkward of performances...
Also, the atmosphere of comedy is so important. The atmosphere of comedy is usually live audiences, which is a blessing and a curse. Blessing, because it feeds the performer with truthful energy to work off of and for stand-up comedians, it gives them a real sense of what's working and what isn't and provides opportunities for the performer. Its a curse, because if you fail at working with the audience and playing to them, your whole set is going to go down in flames. There's this great movie, Adam & Steve, where Parker Posey plays this unsuccessful stand-up comic who uses the same set for years. She became a comic when she was really fat and then she got older and lost a ton of weight, but still tells fat jokes. Her entire set is about being fat, and she so clearly isn't, but she still finds herself funny-which is the best part.
I think I want to go into comedic writing.
dane cook?
female comedians
comedy chauvinist
does good comedy have an expiration date?
GREAT WEBSITE FOR ARTICLES
The Onion
Human Giant
Muppets
its always sunny
arrested development
the office
modern family
30 rock
parks and recreation
Women
I've noticed the things that people really latch onto with female comedians is a juxtaposition. Like, what makes Ellie Kemper funny is that she looks cute, sweet and "girl-next-door" but her comedy is in your face and vulgar. So, despite my feelings/previous observations, it seems like the times really have changed since Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers-sexy women are the only funny ones! Like you have to be sexy in order to get a job now and then prove that you can stand up with the men.
What I find funny is the details of stand-up-the little things. I watched a stand up and this guy was talking about how when you go to get a drink out of a straw and the straw kind of dances around the glass-in the opposite direction of your mouth-and it was really funny! It was like the relatability that really got me into it. And I think thats true of all writing, because its the way people really talk in playwriting and the details of a woman's outfit in a novel that help people to see, understand and draw conclusions from.
STAND-UP:
Stand-up comedy is the best and worst of all comedy. Stand-up performers have to be writers as well as performers, which is probably one of the hardest jobs. Like in clown, I'm finding the hardest thing to do is the one thing you have to do-show the audience exactly what you're doing. If you're lying, include them in the lie. If you cry, you have to present crying and in my third year of acting school where they teach you to be truthful and in the moment, its hard to have to turn around and show your feelings as well as really feel them rather than just feel them and pursue and action. So, in stand-up you have to put out your own material and really sell it. You have to be the biggest ham in the world to really be a successful comic and its so weird because it can be so successful and so satisfying, but it can also be a trainwreck. Its the most awkward of performances...
Also, the atmosphere of comedy is so important. The atmosphere of comedy is usually live audiences, which is a blessing and a curse. Blessing, because it feeds the performer with truthful energy to work off of and for stand-up comedians, it gives them a real sense of what's working and what isn't and provides opportunities for the performer. Its a curse, because if you fail at working with the audience and playing to them, your whole set is going to go down in flames. There's this great movie, Adam & Steve, where Parker Posey plays this unsuccessful stand-up comic who uses the same set for years. She became a comic when she was really fat and then she got older and lost a ton of weight, but still tells fat jokes. Her entire set is about being fat, and she so clearly isn't, but she still finds herself funny-which is the best part.
I think I want to go into comedic writing.
dane cook?
female comedians
comedy chauvinist
does good comedy have an expiration date?
GREAT WEBSITE FOR ARTICLES
The Onion
Human Giant
Muppets
its always sunny
arrested development
the office
modern family
30 rock
parks and recreation
Seminar Prep Sheet #3
This week, I accomplished the following:
-SO MUCH! I think I know where I want to go with this project. As my research progressed, I found I was looking at what I thought was funny and really came to full realization that the project I was trying to do is completely ridiculous and unrealistic. Its a subjective opinion and I can research until the cows come home, but nothing is going to lead me to the answer I want. BUT what I did discover was something that Stacy said in class, which was that I should just create a comedy routine as my final project-which I love! I want to create a comedy troupe with all young, attractive women that possess the same ideals and excitement for women comedians that I do. I think this will lead my research in a more business direction, which is fine, but I also don't want to abandon the research I'm already on.
The sources I consulted this week are:
-Jessie Underhill-facebook chat "interview" about starting a theater company
-Sammie Detzer-Coffee chat about starting a theater company
By next week, I want to have accomplished:
-A clearer idea of the path in which to take my research
-A set of ideals for a working environment(I need to come up with the best environment to work in in order to bring it to other people)
-Find how to create a set of ideals for 'humor' or this female comedy idea, because while I do want to research feminist ways, I don't want to just make jokes about tampons and how men don't pay attention to me.
What obstacles stand in the way of progress?
-Making solid decisions and sticking to them
What steps can I take to more forward?
-Continue talking to people who are well versed in this field
-Make/Edit lists
In this weeks seminar, I want to discuss:
This new idea I have!!!!!
-SO MUCH! I think I know where I want to go with this project. As my research progressed, I found I was looking at what I thought was funny and really came to full realization that the project I was trying to do is completely ridiculous and unrealistic. Its a subjective opinion and I can research until the cows come home, but nothing is going to lead me to the answer I want. BUT what I did discover was something that Stacy said in class, which was that I should just create a comedy routine as my final project-which I love! I want to create a comedy troupe with all young, attractive women that possess the same ideals and excitement for women comedians that I do. I think this will lead my research in a more business direction, which is fine, but I also don't want to abandon the research I'm already on.
The sources I consulted this week are:
-Jessie Underhill-facebook chat "interview" about starting a theater company
-Sammie Detzer-Coffee chat about starting a theater company
By next week, I want to have accomplished:
-A clearer idea of the path in which to take my research
-A set of ideals for a working environment(I need to come up with the best environment to work in in order to bring it to other people)
-Find how to create a set of ideals for 'humor' or this female comedy idea, because while I do want to research feminist ways, I don't want to just make jokes about tampons and how men don't pay attention to me.
What obstacles stand in the way of progress?
-Making solid decisions and sticking to them
What steps can I take to more forward?
-Continue talking to people who are well versed in this field
-Make/Edit lists
In this weeks seminar, I want to discuss:
This new idea I have!!!!!
Seminar Prep Sheet #2
Hi! Sorry this is so late, I turned in a hard copy of this, but I figured I should post it on the blog too.
This week, I accomplished the following:
-watched so much stand-up, solidified a few styles I personally like (usually universal things rather than political or pop culture humor)
-Looked into Gay comedians, watched 'Adam and Steve' a gay romantic comedy
=>with the little research I've done, it seems like the gay community allows for more explicit comedy, its usually pushes the envelope a little more
The sources I consulted this week are:
-Parker Posey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Set up a meeting with David Taft for next week
By next week, I want to have accomplished:
-A more clear sense of where my project is going
What obstacles stand in the way of progress?
-Time, as always
-I am starting to feel that drowning that Heather always talks about...
What steps can I take to move forward?
-Just stick with what I have and continue on
In this weeks seminar, I want to discuss:
-The issues I'm facing with confusion and being overwhelmed
This week, I accomplished the following:
-watched so much stand-up, solidified a few styles I personally like (usually universal things rather than political or pop culture humor)
-Looked into Gay comedians, watched 'Adam and Steve' a gay romantic comedy
=>with the little research I've done, it seems like the gay community allows for more explicit comedy, its usually pushes the envelope a little more
The sources I consulted this week are:
-Parker Posey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Set up a meeting with David Taft for next week
By next week, I want to have accomplished:
-A more clear sense of where my project is going
What obstacles stand in the way of progress?
-Time, as always
-I am starting to feel that drowning that Heather always talks about...
What steps can I take to move forward?
-Just stick with what I have and continue on
In this weeks seminar, I want to discuss:
-The issues I'm facing with confusion and being overwhelmed
HOT SHEET
Research Project Title: Women Roles in Comedy
Brief Description: I hope to find out why and if there is a universal sense of humor, devoid of race, gender, etc. through researching the female role in the comedy world. I hope to find where the rise in recent female comedians started and the tactics they use to get ahead. I plan to research individual comedians and their style as well as use the peers I have to get a general sense of humor. I want to find the root of humor, based on society, time, place, etc. and suss out what it is that we find funny in life. In this search, I hope to read books, newspaper/magazine articles as well as broaden my horizons of comedic entertainment and look into stand-up, comedy from around the globe, sketch comedy and improvisational theater. This search for a universal humor is the root of my original question, "Why aren't women as funny as men?" So, by finding that blanket funny I can suss out the ideals that women comedians have and achieve...or not. I also plan to equally research race comedy and male comedy in comparison to female comedy to get a more well-rounded scope of this humorous world we live in. I hope this research will lead to the foundations of a theater company of hot, funny girls!
Key Words and Phrases:
Female Comedians
Humor
(blank) Comedy[i.e.; British/Chinese, Black/White, etc]
Feminism
Modern Comedy
Post Modernism
Stand-Up
Improvisation
Sketch Comedy
Questions:
1. What is it that you find funny? What do you never find funny?
2. Why do we overlook female comedians? Why do we overpopularize others?
3. Where does our sense of humor stem from?
4. What is a sense of humor?
5. When did the shift in comedy occur?
6. Why is it harder for women to be funny?
7. Is it true that women can't be funny and attractive?
8. Who pioneered women in comedy?
9. Who are the major names in ALL comedy?
10. Why can't I narrow my topic down yet?
Action Plan:
Narrow my topic down to something cohesive
Find out (if there is) a scientific fact(s) about humor
Ask around how I can start to narrow down my topic and pigeon hole what I really want
Interview people who have started a theater company
Brainstorm how this research aids a company
Brief Description: I hope to find out why and if there is a universal sense of humor, devoid of race, gender, etc. through researching the female role in the comedy world. I hope to find where the rise in recent female comedians started and the tactics they use to get ahead. I plan to research individual comedians and their style as well as use the peers I have to get a general sense of humor. I want to find the root of humor, based on society, time, place, etc. and suss out what it is that we find funny in life. In this search, I hope to read books, newspaper/magazine articles as well as broaden my horizons of comedic entertainment and look into stand-up, comedy from around the globe, sketch comedy and improvisational theater. This search for a universal humor is the root of my original question, "Why aren't women as funny as men?" So, by finding that blanket funny I can suss out the ideals that women comedians have and achieve...or not. I also plan to equally research race comedy and male comedy in comparison to female comedy to get a more well-rounded scope of this humorous world we live in. I hope this research will lead to the foundations of a theater company of hot, funny girls!
Key Words and Phrases:
Female Comedians
Humor
(blank) Comedy[i.e.; British/Chinese, Black/White, etc]
Feminism
Modern Comedy
Post Modernism
Stand-Up
Improvisation
Sketch Comedy
Questions:
1. What is it that you find funny? What do you never find funny?
2. Why do we overlook female comedians? Why do we overpopularize others?
3. Where does our sense of humor stem from?
4. What is a sense of humor?
5. When did the shift in comedy occur?
6. Why is it harder for women to be funny?
7. Is it true that women can't be funny and attractive?
8. Who pioneered women in comedy?
9. Who are the major names in ALL comedy?
10. Why can't I narrow my topic down yet?
Action Plan:
Narrow my topic down to something cohesive
Find out (if there is) a scientific fact(s) about humor
Ask around how I can start to narrow down my topic and pigeon hole what I really want
Interview people who have started a theater company
Brainstorm how this research aids a company
esquire?
http://www.esquire.com/women/funny-joke-from-a-beautiful-woman/hot-actress-photo-gallery-070909
I was reading an article in GQ(the comedy issue, July 2010)about funny men(paul rudd, zach galifinakis, tracy morgan featured) and there's a spread of a lot of different funny people this year and people too look out for. Few women were recognized (some none the less), but what I did notice was how they were portrayed. Yes, its a men's magazine and I'm all for women being sexy and funny, BUT the article on Emma Stone was 1/4 about her career and 3/4 about her practically being jailbait and how great her ass was. Does it matter how women are portrayed to the comedy world? This question brings me back to the Marie Claire article, about women not being "too sexy" for comedy. Does it really matter? If so, why?
hmmm....
Girls to watch
List of female comedians
cloris leachman
carol burnett
tina fey
amy poehler
jennifer coolidge
parker posey
ellen degeneres
joan rivers
phyllis diller
margaret cho
janeane garafolo
lisa kudrow
jennifer aniston
courtney cox
wanda sykes
kathy griffin
roseanne barr
sarah silverman
anna faris
emma stone
alison brie
sandra bernhardt
Links from Chris
http://www.amazon.com/Women-Laughter-Feminist-Issues-Practice/dp/0813915139
http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity-lifestyle/celebrities/interviews/female-comedians-funny-actresses?click=main_sr
http://www.amazon.com/Look-Whos-Laugh-Gender-Studies/dp/2881246451
http://books.google.com/books?id=D9TBK-nmia4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=gender+comedy&source=bl&ots=tVbcZACwLl&sig=M93YVKeTDWIv6FMQpEO-BuZ_PTI&hl=en&ei=KnuKTP2dOJK4sAPJ_9mLBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=14&ved=0CEIQ6AEwDQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=23854
Seminar Prep Sheet-Week 1
This week, I accomplished the following:
-I decided to stick with my topic, with many other options I wanted to explore.
-I started researching! Thanks Chris for sending me those links, it has sent me in a million more directions
-I found just asking people's opinions about who they think is funny is really informative and opens them up to talking more about comedy
-This also helps with my research for "who thinks what is funny" (I'm beginning a study on how society affects sense of humor/what humor or a sense of humor is, etc.)
-I got a group of girls together!
The sources I consulted this week are:
-I'm talking with Jessie Underhill and Sammi Spring-Detzer(members of 'Improvolution') within the next couple of days to talk about starting up a company; How-To's, issues they faced, how to go about starting something, etc.
-I talked to Madison Mabbott, a fellow actor and person interested in getting a company together.
By next week, I want to have accomplished:
-I want to have all the information I have gathered organized and on this blog for the world to see!
-Contacts
-Articles
-Opinions
-Interviews
What obstacles stand in the way of progress?
TIME. Time is my biggest issue right now, because not only am I taking a ridiculous amount of hours, but I also just started a new job. So, my biggest goal is to stay on top of my work. There are other obstacles/goals, but time is what I most need to focus on this week. If I can establish a routine, incorporating all of these things, I think I can find a rhythm that fits.
What steps can I take to move forward?
Time management. I bought a planner and have used it! Just organizational skills will really help me this week.
In this weeks seminar, I want to discuss:
-My final goals for this project-CREATE ULTIMATE COMEDY!
GIRLS CAN BE FUNNY, TOO!
My Project:
I started this by drinking in a park and talking about how women aren't as funny as men, but how they are in reality-funnier, even. As this project has progressed, its turned into finding a universal funny. I'm really interested in the root of humor, looking into the influence of society, culture, race, gender, etc. I want to start a theater company of hot funny girls-thats the goal! Just to bring awareness to female comedians, not necessarily female comedy ( i.e.; tampons, periods, men, being fat, ditzy, etc.)
Yay!
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