Lead Blog 11/30

I've seen bits and pieces of this movie but I can't remember where from. This is the typical underdog story where the nobody suddenly becomes the hero because of his hidden talent. In this case, Bobby turns out to be extremely athletic despite his passion for being a water boy. I agree with Bailey that often times the funniest scenes are the most unexpected ones. In this particular scene, I see the incongruity theory as well as the superiority theory. The superiority theory is obvious in the way that the whole football team makes dumb jokes at the expense of Bobby. The incongruity theory is present in the response that Bobby has to this ridicule. He literally jumps over the offensive and defensive line to tackle the quarterback and knock hum completely unconscious. The typical reaction would probably be to run away and cry from the football players but, instead, Bobby decides to fight fire with fire. The incongruity theory is further continued when the coach takes Bobby aside and basically gets him into college. I think that I would find this movie funny based off of this scene solely because it has all of the aspects of humor that I personally find funny.

Lead Blog 11/16

Oh Sarah...

I would not have expected you to pick anything other than this clip right here. I'd like to start out by saying I didn't think this clip was funny at all. I didn't giggle and I didn't crack a smile. This was disturbing to me for some reason and I really can't quite put my finger on why. So to start out we see a man with an apparent beer belly but, lo and behold, he smacks himself in the gut and magically he becomes ripped. Basically, a very in shape man blows his stomach out to what looks like painful proportions and then hits himself?? Ouch. If that wasn't enough, we see a large man B with a gut equally as large as man A but obviously made up of different things. Man B is an overweight black man who seems to fall under the societal obsession of instant gratification. Therefore he is also hitting himself in the stomach, but to no avail. No matter the number of times the poor guy hits himself his six pack does not push through. This was just sad to me because it's a mockery of this overweight man. And finally, the most disturbing part to me, the baby. This kid is creepy. His laugh is scary and it made me want to shut my computer and not open it again. I see your point that for people who do find this kind of video funny, it's probably because of the superiority theory. Especially in regard to Man B, the superiority theory is what's causing this Man B to have any role in humor at all. People find it funny because it quite successfully compares Man A to Man B then proceeds to make fun of Man B. The baby is just disturbing and I have no words for it. I really can not understand how this clip even compares to the Office but thank you, Sarah, for providing us with insight into your humor.

Lead Blog Response 11/9

I totally forgot about this scene! It perfectly represents how Dwight’s character operates in the show. He’s the character who fights for control in unconventional ways and this fight is viewed as comic. I agree that Dwight’s comedy often stems from the incongruity theory. He utilizes the shock factor in his weird way. I think that everything about this scene is hilarious. Dwight says “Today, cigarettes are going to save lives.” He’s such an odd person and he’s trying to use a witty slogan to make himself look cool but since it’s him lighting up a trash can, it’s just weird. There is also this awkward tension in the room that is so typical of the Office. Dwight is trying to call attention to the fire and when no one will pay attention to him (probably because they are so used to his shenanigans), he does the awkwardly loud cough in order to get Pam to see the “fire”. This scene definitely revolves around Dwight and how he reacts to the fire. He’s the only one not panicking because he is the only one with the full extent of knowledge as to what’s going on. This is in part of what makes this scene so funny. As the omniscient audience, we know that there is no danger of a fire and this makes the reactions of the other members of the Office shocking as well as hysterical.

Lead Blog Response 10/28

I'm like 95% sure I showed you this video and I am so glad you decided to blog about because that gives me an excuse to watch it again! I don't know how SNL so consistently makes hilarious skits that everyone is able to laugh at yet low key relate to. Maybe they have secret magic skit genies?? This skit in particular is funny because of the time of year. I know it's a Halloween skit so obviously it has to come out in October, but I think that it was released at the PERFECT time. It was released right in the midst of Halloween hype (before the Christmas trees were set up in Home Depot but after the Halloween section of Walmart was built up).

I agree with you, Olivia, that this skit is a great example of the incongruity theory. The flashbacks to and from the pre- and post-Halloween shenanigans build up the hilarity of the skit. Much like "Mr. Show", the transitions allows for a stark comedic comparison to take place between the scenes whilst still maintaining a flow to the skit. This video also has a mix of irony mixed with reality. It's ironic to me that these poor ladies are trying to plan a cute night out in their cute costumes and it turns into mass chaos. However, everyone has experienced one of the personalities of these three women: getting the "drun-chies", becoming overly sensitive and just crying, or accidentally breaking something. JUST KIDDING. These are all characteristics that, although sometimes apply to male, stereotypically apply to the drunk female. This skit is so *relatable* because of how both men and women view it. Women relate directly to the reactions of the three main characters. Men relate indirectly to the three characters because they have been in a situation where they have had to deal with the drunk female in one of the three stages depicted in the skit.

Lead Blog Response 10/26

Talladega Nights is another fantastic example of Will Ferrel being the best actor on the planet. He and his deadpan comedy style sit front and center in the role of Ricky Bobby. I have only seen Talladega Knights like twice but my dad and my brother are obsessed with the movie. There have been multiple family gatherings where my dad throws a Ricky Bobby quote into the dinner prayer (which of course leaves my brother rolling on the floor laughing). This scene in particular is a familial favorite. Ricky Bobby (aka Will Ferrell) has gathered his family and is prepared to say grace before Thanksgiving meal. This clip is funny because of how it paints a picture of an American family who represents the stereotypical America. For starters, Ricky Bobby is a NASCAR driver. That's probably the most stereotypical American profession. Will Ferrel is poking fun at the religion of America: how we only acknowledge our religion when we want something. He also blesses his stereotypical American meal: Taco Bell, KFC, and Dominoes. The video also shows signs of the superiority theory, as Matthew stated in his post. Everything that Ricky Bobby and his family does is theoretically right, yet somehow fundamentally wrong. Nothing seemed sincere and it made me feel superior to the family because I can say a prayer right and I know what is supposed to be served at a Thanksgiving meal. Talladega Nights is a hysterical movie because of Will Ferrel and the movies play on stereotypical America.
I also laugh at this scene because it's more of an underrated scene of the movie.
Ricky Bobby's First Race

Lead Blog Response 10/19

I was hooked to Youtube comedians solidly throughout my middle school career. From Kingsley to Tyler Oakley, the time I spent watching these social media comedians is comparable to the time I now spend watching Netflix. Social media has since evolved since the glory days of middle school and now there's multiple platforms for online comedians to perform on. I'v never heard of Lizza and honestly, the first half of the video I was annoyed. All she seemed to do was make loud noises and grotesque faces while driving by herself in the car (all in an apparently unsafe manner). I didn't really begin to enjoy the video until her friends started to get introduced. Lizza takes on the characteristics of a genuinely naive person. She doesn't think she's a bad driver, yet all of her friends have hit the pavement running trying to get away from her car. Lizza also is really good at laughing at herself. I think if Lizza had chosen to try dead pan comedy as opposed to her giggling/funny face response to her own jokes, the video would've been awkward if not painful for the audience. The reason I thought it was so funny was because while her friends were panicking in the passenger seat, Lizza was seemingly oblivious to the danger that she had put them in. Her comments were relevant yet irrelevant to the situation (i.e. "Are you going to clean that up" when she slammed the breaks on and spilled hot tea all over Gabby and "My ears are ringing." when her friend let out a loud slew of vulgarities after Lizza almost hit a squirrel). I definitely didn't think this was the funniest video I've ever seen because for 50% of it I was annoyed. However, I do see how Lizza is able to make people laugh. She uses a wide variety of technique that, to some, might border on the obnoxious and excessive but also might make others pee their pants from laughter.

Lead Blog Response 10/12

THE OFFICE IS MY FAVORITE SHOW OF ALL TIME! This is such a funny scene too! I really enjoyed how you were able to dissect the episode using the theories we already know. I agree with your statements about the presence of the superiority theory but I most certainly thing the the incongruity theory is the theory most used. From the impromptu singing of the BeGees to Dwight showing off his concealed hunting knife, the incongruity theory is everywhere. The Office uses a unique mix of the incongruity theory as well as the superiority theory. It allows viewers to, once they get into the style of humor, dive into the comedy found in the shocking awkwardness of the show. The relief theory is an underlying presence in The Office because in all of the situations The Office presents, we can relate to the uncomfortable feelings and are able to laugh at the tension. My favorite part of this scene is when Dwight rips off the dummy's face with his knife because (1) why did he feel the need to harvest the organs of the dummy and (2) I don't think that when organs are harvested, the surgeons cut off the persons face. It's just an all around shocking scene that appeals to the awkward tensions found in the workplace.