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.

Lead Blog Response 9/30

I will admit that I have never seen Step Brothers in it's entirety. However, the bits I have seen are super funny. I really enjoy this scene because job interviews are universally terrifying to every single person and yet this scene seems to ridicule the whole job interviewing process. I agree with your statements about the scene demonstrating all three of the theories: superiority, incongruity, and relief. I think that the superiority is the most present in this scene because every point of view feels superior to the other. For example, the brothers have a sense of superiority to all of the interviewers. They don't take the interview seriously because they feel confident that they are going to get whatever job they apply for. The interviewers also feel a sense of superiority because these poor brothers are dressed in tuxedos for  janitorial jobs. The interviewers can't help but feel like they are superior in intellect as well as maturity. We as viewers also feel a sense of superiority towards the brothers because we are internally making fun of their attempts to be mature adults. The incongruity and relief theories are also present in the ways that Isaac mentioned in his original post. Perhaps our theory of superiority is due to our need to laugh at something that we have a fear of. We all have fears of going to a job interview and having a stranger judge every ounce of our being so it's easy for us to laugh at a scene ridiculing our fears.

Are They Even Alive?

One of my favorite childhood television shows was (and continues to be) Courage the Cowardly Dog.  I'm not sure why this show was so entertaining and satisfying to me because even now when I watch it, I am completely creeped out. I laugh at the differing attitudes between Eustace and Muriel and the crazy plots always amuse me. Maybe I was a creepy kid? Who knows.

I think this show was so successful because of how shocking it always was. Every episode had a crazy plot with unsettling characters and unnatural colors. I would suggests that the main theory of comedy that applies to this television show is the incongruity theory. The combination of two unlike scenarios creates a sense of humor, bordering on the comical but not quite. This show often has enough humor to keep an audience engaged but not enough to be deemed an outright funny show.

Here is a link to a clip of Courage: The Great Fusilli

This scene perfectly illustrates how the entire show is full of shocking scenarios. From the colors to the sounds, Courage the Cowardly Dog is a mix of creepy and engaging. Even the visual aspects of the show are unnerving and abstract. Courage is a great show and I recommend it to anyone who thinks they have tough skin.

Lead Blog: Goodnight, Sweet Prince

A recent event that has our country up in arms and the government scrambling for support is the death, no, murder of the beloved gorilla Harambe. For those of you who aren’t entirely clear about the story of Harambe, here is a brief explanation. Harambe was a gorilla who lived in the Cincinnati Zoo. He was fatally shot after he was deemed a threat to a three-year-old boy fell into his habitat. This situation has raised protests from several different groups. The loudest and most vigilant group has been the animal rights activists, who argue that the shooting of Harambe was completely uncalled for and another solution could’ve been brought about by other means. A second group has been putting heat on the Cincinnati Zoo for housing Harambe in an inadequate habitat, allowing for such a situation to arise. A third group has been pointing fingers at the parents, saying that they are guilty of neglecting their child; how else could a three-year-old find his way into the habitat of a gorilla?

          

  This brings me to my topic for the week: Harambe memes and their effect on all of us. I have found all of these memes to be especially hilarious, as all memes typically are. I think that the Harambe memes resonates specifically with Freud’s take on the relief theory. Freud suggests that humor is caused from societal tension and repression, resulting in the release of nervous energy. The relief theory allows for us to be able to laugh at the memes and, indirectly, at the death of this poor gorilla because of the building tension in the country. The population is able to laugh in order to distance themselves from the real problem: animal cruelty.

            The premature humor that the memes have been able to conjure makes me think that maybe there is a taste of underlying incongruity theory in the memes. Hutcheson’s incongruity theory places two unlike metaphors beside each other and the contrast between the two provides a shock factor. I think that the shock factor in the memes comes from the contrast between the serious pictures of Harambe beside a humorous phrase that doesn’t directly go with the picture.

My question is this: How did we get to a point where we are able to laugh at the unlawful and violent death of an innocent animal? I admit that I’ve at least chuckled at every Harambe meme I’ve seen. But with this humor shouldn’t there be a pang of guilt? This seems like a good example of how we’ve become desensitized to certain types of inappropriate humor. I know that this is getting a little deep about meme about a gorilla, but I think that it is able to accurately represent how comedy has really just spiraled down a hole. A hole where, at the bottom, there is vulgarity and overriding desensitization.

Lead Blog Response 9/9/16

I love Key and Peele and this is by far one of their funniest clips. I really enjoyed how you were able to coherently relate all three of the theories to the clip! I definitely felt the presence of the incongruity theory and the superiority theory right off the bat. The incongruity theory was most prominent to me because of how absurdly wrong the substitute pronounces the names. It really is shocking how a person can get a name like Blake so off. I see the superiority theory for the substitute because I do feel slightly superior to him. I feel like if I was given that attendance sheet, I could pronounce 98% percent of the names with no problem. It was harder for me to relate the relief theory to the clip at first, but after reading your explanation of how it fits in I can definitely see how it played in. My opinion is that this clip operates around racial humor, specifically black humor. The substitute is talking with a “ghetto” accent and is pronouncing generic white people names incorrectly. This is making an indirect reference to how black people name their children with unique and complex names. The whole clip is tied together by Timothy (tim-OH-thee) who, when his name is called, answers with a hearty present (pree-SINT). I’m not sure what theory that would fall under. Maybe superiority because it is making fun of another culture? Or maybe it falls under incongruity because racial humor always presents itself with a shock factor?

Lead Blog 9/9/16