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Recommended: An analysis of humor
Humor Paper I’ve chosen to write my humor paper about the “Van Wilder Shit Scene”. In this clip, taken out from the movie “Van Wilder”, our protagonist gets a horrible diarrhea in the middle of a supposedly important meeting. We watch him struggle through the meeting, and as the situation evolves, so does his need of letting it all go. Eventually, he ends up on a trashcan at the same office, giving in to the “lower forces”. Diseases like diarrhea are a typical taboo among most people, but this clip manages to make fun of such topics, by almost literally throwing the taboo in the faces of the clip’s characters. By doing so, it makes the viewers laugh almost out of disgust. The whole situation is very exaggerated, for an example at The trashcan shot, “Van Wilder Shit Scene”, 0:31 where he screams so badly, you could argue whether it was out of pain or relief. By doing so, it makes his situation more fun to watch, because of his diarrhea differing so much for our perception of a normal round diarrhea. It also takes us by surprise. While we expected him to possibly shit his pants, none of us predicted him to throw himself onto the trashcan. Surprise goes, for that reason, hand in hand with incongruity in this clip. Our protagonist does not act according to our expectations, and we can therefore involve the …show more content…
At The office conversation, “Van Wilder Shit Scene”, 0.23, one of the men asks our protagonist a very ironic and ambiguous question: “You look like you want to get something out, son”. By saying that, he expected for our protagonist to start opening up and speak, but our protagonist chose to open up in the wrong end, which led to a very ironic and ambiguous scene because of the sentence being capable of having several meanings. It makes us laugh because he kind of predicted for that to happen, by saying what he did, even though he never knew what has going to
David Sedaris first heard of this strange phenomenon from his boyfriend Hugh Hamrick. Hamrick worked at the local Gap in high school and mentioned people defecating
...ees and literally debilitate a person if they are not equipped to handle it accordingly and maintain an ability to put it into perspective. The humor that prevailed in the Operating Room (O.R.) in “M.A.S.H.” is no different than that which occurs in dozens of civilian emergency rooms worldwide during critical times. It is the human way of coping and is intended in no way to be disrespectful to victims or subjects of violence and further it is not a reflection of the understanding of the gravity of the situation either. Rather, it is a true human response to tragedy which enables us to function. It is the means of distancing one’s self from the situation in order to accomplish your mission or task and provide lifesaving measures without allowing your mind to be overwhelmed by the horror. Laugh long, laugh hard and laugh often, it truly is the very best medicine.
Vincent opens on a young boy, locked away in his room, imagining himself as an evil mastermind, and reading Edgar Allen Poe. This short film is one of Tim Burton’s first works, and perfectly encapsulates his style. Although Burton worked for Disney during his creation of the film, his style differs greatly from that of Disney. Disney takes stories geared traditionally toward children and removes all dark aspects creating a completely wholesome story. However, Burton takes children’s stories and embellishes the dark elements, creating eerie stories. Throughout Tim Burton’s work a clearly unique directing style is showcased, defined, in particular, by his use of colour, music, and camera angles to create characterization, foreshadowing, and mood respectively.
And experimental social psychologists...have studied how social forces and the pressures of a given situation can change the way we behave, regardless of our personalities and background” (43). Many of the Candid Camera hoaxes highlight the fact that people are not accustomed to deviance from social norms. Thus, when roles are broken or reversed, the results prove laughter inducing. For instance, when the dentist launches into a sales pitch about gold-plated tooth necklaces and framed x-rays, it’s nearly impossible not to laugh at his flustered patient’s protest that, “The way our walls are set up in our house...this—this just won’t go with it.” But underlying this farcical situation is a human truth—the unfailing desire to adhere to normal social constructs. The dentist should be cleaning my teeth, our brains protest, not selling earrings bedazzled with them! Further on in the episode, during the dentist-turned-barber hoax, we encounter another universal crutch: white lies. “Please, don’t make me feel bad!” the patient pleads when the planted dentist becomes emotionally distraught after having slathered him in shaving cream, “You’re doing a good job, you are!” In this case, viewers can chuckle at the awkward situation while at the same time considering just how often they, too, voice such dishonesties in day-to-day
I also don't own the idea, it was requested to me by the wonderful Amanda. Thank you so much! I hope I did this idea justice.
Bernie Mac’s second Def Comedy Jam special, “I Ain’t Scared of You Motherfuckers” is a comedic work that has always made me laugh uncontrollably. Even when I was too young to fully understand most of the jokes in that particular standup routine, his physical motions, use of curses and taboo sex phrases, as well as his urban Chicago colloquialisms were enough to have tears dripping from my eyes and a boisterous sound of laughter coming from my mouth, loud enough that it would cause my mother to come into my room and investigate what all the fuss was about. Despite the obvious comedic subject matter of works of comedy done by comedians such as Bernie Mac, there are numerous underlying reasons that attribute to the humor that is expressed through our laugher and enjoyment. Through his lively stage presences and sociological motifs, Bernie Mac was able to enlighten the world on the various cultural aspects of urban life by his use of social and psychological cues that capture our attention, giving us directions on how to react, providing us with an increased social awareness though satirical methods, and making light of taboo topics regarding the themes of sex and gender roles.
Black comedy discusses and integrates controversial and often taboo topics such as pain, loss, and grief providing a confronting and cathartic experience for the audience. Martin McDonagh’s ‘The Lieutenant of Inishmore’ is a play that humorously deals with the serious nature of the Irish struggle for independence. It juxtaposes the mundane with the extreme political violence, which is a common aspect of black comedy, presenting an issue in a new perspective. The act of pointless violence presented through characterisation, sharp dialogue and the symbol of the cat, is a strong mechanism for laughter. Similarly Neil Labute’s ‘The Shape of Things’ presents manipulation, superficiality and the nature of art in a humorous way. ‘The Shape of Things’
Throughout many works by Terry Gilliam, there is a general feeling of confusion or disbelief. The audience usually feels lost, and it never realizes what is actually going on until the end of the film. In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the audience experiences firsthand the hallucinations and troubles of a man high on any drug he can find. In The Holy Grail, The Life of Brian, and The Meaning of Life, the audience is exposed to gruesome or socially horrifying situations, but the characters react very nonchalantly, leaving the audience confused and concerned. In Twelve Monkeys, the entire plot is questionable, and the audience has trouble believing the story in the first place, let alone understanding it. Throughout these movies Gilliam puts the viewer in a surreal state, making him or her wonder if the events are truly reality.
Our society has institutionalized particular behaviors such as fixing our appearance, crying, belching, defecation, and flatulence deviant to perform in a public setting. Therefore, we rely on what Cahill terms as “performance regions” to relieve ourselves of these deviant behaviors. Public restrooms are performance regions that afford individuals the privacy (negative interpersonal rituals) to release bodily waste, cry, and discuss situations
The narration that accompanies the scene is allowing our voyeuristic desires to enter into the
Shattered Glass starring Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard, and Steve Zahn, is a movie based on a true story inspired by Stephen Glass. Stephen Glass was a fraudulent journalist based at The New Republic. In 1998 the editor, Chuck Lane, played by Peter Sarsgaard questioned if Glass’ stories were true facts or more for the reader’s entertainment.
A key aspect that was used in this scene was the way that the director builds and releases tension when required using the sound track. This is used as Tim gets up to put his clothes in his draws. The slow, high pitch music in the background started to become more high pitch and louder as the light falls and breaks, the door then opens revealing a shadowing figure as the music comes to its climax. This non-Diegetic music serves the purpose of amplifying the emotion and tension of the atmosphere in this scene in the way that diegetic sounds are restricted from. The use of the monotonous, string based, music served as a way of emitting a
Clifford, S. (2009). Video prank at Domino’s taints brand. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/business/media/16dominos.html
The Vagina Monologues is a wonderful performance by local students in a community that informs the attending audience about real life stories from women; these students take on the personality and emotions of these women from their stories. This performance is part of a big movement known globally as the activist movement to end violence against women and girls; it is also a way to empower women. The Vagina Monologues are also performed to inform other women that they are not alone in any feelings they may have about being a women or thoughts about their vagina. From beginning to end The Vagina Monologues was anything but boring and the performers covered a wide range of women’s stories with distinctive issues. The main acts that caught my attention were The Flood, My Vagina Was My Village and The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy.
You can find wide varieties of these crude pieces on the internet, and it is not uncommon to hear them in the hallways of schools, or whispered among students and followed by unjustified giggles. Attempting to lighten the seriousness of things such as sexual assault or terrorism is not comedy, no matter what people may say. Comedy is about laughing with the people being mocked, not lessening the seriousness of their situations. When we try to make ‘jokes’, we must keep one thing in mind: comedy is about laughter and joy. A joke is only funny when it is not blinding us to the reality of cruel